


Dealing with the Hybrid

by MissNMikaelson



Series: Soulmates [1]
Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Romance, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-03-13 21:47:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 52
Words: 135,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13579569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissNMikaelson/pseuds/MissNMikaelson
Summary: 5 years ago Elena made a deal with Klaus. He left town and now she visits him twice a year to donate some blood. Soul Mate AU with a twist. I don't think it's been done before.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: I do not own TVD or TO. I just enjoy writing about the characters.
> 
> This is going to be a soulmate AU with a twist that I don't think has been done before. Once soulmates have sealed their bonds they share each others greatest strengths or attributes. I don't want to go into too much detail here as it will give away the story. I have the first 10 chapters planned out, and I am thinking right now that it will likely be around 20 chapters long; maybe more.

 

Elena linked a finger under the chain of her necklace and fiddled with the locket. She chewed on her bottom lip and stared out through her windshield at the sprawling mansion. Every time she thought about what she planned to do Elena felt a ball of fire unfurl in her chest. She jumped bit down hard on her lip when someone knocked on the car door.

Warm copper flooded her mouth as she pushed open the door.

"Elena?"

She tilted her head to look up at Elijah. As usual he was wearing a suit. Tonight his normally impassive face was furrowed in confusion.

"Elijah," she managed a small smile for her favorite Original.

"What brings you here this evening?" Elijah had never been one to beat around the bush. It was one of the many things that Elena loved about him; he always got right to the point.

"I need to speak to Klaus," Elena closed the car door and tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "Is he here?"

"I believe so," Elijah motioned for her to follow and lead her inside the house. "What do you need to discuss with my brother?"

Had Elena not been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she might have caught the hint of jealousy in his voice.

"I want him out of town," Elena ran her tongue along the wound on her lip. She blinked slowly and snuck a look at him through the corner of her eye.

"You know he'll never leave without you," he came to a stop outside of a closed door.

"That's not necessarily true," Elena stared at the impassive door: her final obstacle. "He only needs my blood," she mumbled and twisted the handle to open the door, "not me."

* * *

"I see you are without your bodyguards this evening," Klaus smirked when Elena entered his art studio. "Where are the Salvatores tonight?"

"I don't know," Elena shut the door and took a seat on one of the many couches in the room. "I haven't spoken to them since this morning." She stared at a sketch that sat on the table; she thought the woman in the picture looked an awful lot like Caroline. "They wouldn't approve of what I came here to do."

"What exactly have you come here to do, love?"

"I have a proposition for you," Elena looked up when he sat down across from her.

"What would that be, love?"

"I'm tired of all the fighting," Elena leant back against the couch with a sigh. She clasped her hands tightly in front of her before continuing, "I want it to end. I-I want you to leave."

"That's unlikely to happen, sweetheart," Klaus placed his elbows on his knees and leaned across the space between them. "I'm not going anywhere without my doppelgänger."

"I thought you might say that," Elena pulled a cell phone from her pocket. "I want to make a deal," she tossed him the mobile.

"I'm not Elijah, love."

"I'm trusting you'll know a good deal when you hear it," she watched him eye the phone.

"Go on."

"You leave town – "

"Yes, love, I got that part."

"You leave," Elena glared at the hybrid for interrupting her, "and I will come to you once every six months, and you can take my blood."

"Why only six months?" Klaus found that he was intrigued. In that moment he could see why Elijah found this girl so compelling. Katerina would have found an opportunity to run by now. Elena had come forward to broker a deal to stop a war being waged on her friends and loved ones.

"I'd come more often," Elena stood up to pace the room, "but Damon and Stefan may get suspicious if I just disappear more than twice a year. Every six months can be excused as a vacation."

"I see."

"That cell phone has my number programmed inside," she fixed him with a steady determined stare. "Make your decision, and let me know. You can text me the location to meet you in six months." She walked towards the stop before she stopped to face him again. "Klaus, this only works if you all leave town and never come back."

Klaus flashed in front of her to slam the door shut.

"I accept your terms love," he smirked. Something dangerous flashed in his eyes, "but if you fail to honour your end of the bargain I will return and hunt you down."


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own TVD or TO.
> 
> My plan is to try and write at least one chapter a week for this story. Hopefully they are all roughly the length of this one.
> 
> I know there is not a lot of Elijah yet, but I promise he is coming. If not in the next chapter than the one after it.

5 Years Later

Elena leaned back in her seat. The pen she had been using to take notes lay discarded on the desk. Wrappers, highlighters and flashcards littered the desks surface. She only had one exam left before the Christmas holidays and studying for it was a pain in the ass.

She stood up to stretch and slowly packed up her things so that she could walk back to her dorm. She had made it across the courtyard and was opening the door to the dormitories when her phone started to vibrate. She pulled it out of her pocket to stare at the message through bleary eyes.

**Saturday? – K**

Elena shook her head before she slipped into her dorm room. After she had collapsed onto her mattress she sent off a quick reply.

**Next Saturday? Plans with C. this weekend. – E**

She half expected him to demand she appear this weekend. In the beginning days of their arrangement he definitely would have, so she was pleasantly surprised when he offered no argument.

**NOLA. – K**

**See you then. – E**

* * *

The incessant beeping of her alarm clock woke Elena the next morning. Actually the alarm merely pulled her from the bed; it was Caroline's shoe colliding with her shoulder that snapped Elena out of her stupor.

"Turn off the alarm," Caroline growled into the pillow she had pressed down over her face. Lifting the pillow slightly so that she could glare at Elena and continued speaking, "it's been going off for the past twenty minutes."

"What?" Elena peered at Caroline groggily before she caught sight of the clock. She swore when she realized that Caroline was right, and scrambled to pull on clothes.

"What's the rush?" Caroline sat up and watched as Elena frantically pulled on her shoes.

"My last exam," Elena slammed her foot into the trainer and grabbed an elastic to whip her hair into a messy bun, "is in ten minutes." She snatched her bag and slung it over her shoulder before she ran out the door.

"I'll see you later then," Caroline called after her. She made an attempt to go back to sleep only to be roused completely by her cell phone.

"Hello?" She didn't bother to check the caller ID.

_"_ _Morning Barbie."_

Caroline rolled her eyes and sighed when she heard his voice. He had obviously decided to try calling her to get to Elena.

"What do you want?" She could almost hear the growl in her own voice.

_"_ _I can see you haven't had your morning coffee yet,"_  Caroline could hear the smirk in his voice.  _"I'm looking for Elena. My calls haven't been going through."_

"She has caller ID. It's more likely that she's ignoring you. Actually," Caroline stood up and began to pace the room. "I know for a fact she is ignoring you."

_"_ _Don't be ridiculous Care Bear. Elena loves me."_

"Listen up," Caroline fought the urge to throw her phone out of the window, "and listen good. Elena wants nothing to do with either you or your brother. Not only did the two of you pressure her to make a decision, you refused to let her ever do anything for herself. Just leave her alone."

_"_ _Can't do that Blondie. I've got to know her decision: me or him."_

"Were you not listening?" Caroline didn't try to stop the growl this time. "She made her decision. She wants nothing to do with either of you."

_"_ _So says you. I want to know what she says."_

Caroline heard him pause to open what sounded like a car door.

_"_ _I'll be there this afternoon."_

Caroline heard him start the car before the call disconnected. She stared at her phone for a few seconds before dropping it on the bed and springing into action.

* * *

Caroline bounced off of the bench towards Elena who was exiting the building. Caroline gave her a quick once over as she approached. Elena looked exhausted and relaxed all at once; she looked up and smiled when she saw the blonde approaching her.

"Hey 'Lena," she passed a full coffee cup to Elena before steering her in the direction of the car park.

"What's the rush?" Elena downed half of the cup as they walked. Staring at her friend she was a little surprised to see the bag on Caroline's arm. "Is that my dufflebag?"

"Yes," Caroline stopped when she reached her destination: Elena's car. "Get in quickly; you're leaving." She pushed her protesting friend into the vehicle and quickly explained the situation and the phone call she had received earlier, "you need to be gone before he arrives."

"Where am I supposed to go on such short notice?"

"Go wherever it is you were originally going to go this weekend," Caroline raised a hand when Elena started to deny her plans. "Don't bother; I know you have some sort of arrangement with Klaus. Somehow you got him to leave town, and now you go to meet him twice a year; I assume to give blood." Caroline had figured it out a long time ago but had kept her silence, "I'll cover for you, and let you know when he's gone."

"He won't be expecting me so soon," Elena sighed and started the car, "thank you Caroline." She pulled away from the blond and rolled the window up. Caroline watched until the car had disappeared from view. She glanced at her watch before going to pack her things for Christmas break.

12:07 PM.

* * *

Elena blinked rapidly in an attempt to stay awake. She had been driving for nearly sixteen hours only stopping for gas and food. She sighed when she spotted the sign for New Orleans. Twenty minutes later she pulled in front of the Abattoir – the official residence of the Mikaelson family. She was mildly surprised by what appeared to be a raving party on the streets.

She shook her head and stepped out of the car with her bag on her shoulder. Now that she had finally arrived she found it difficult to keep her eyes open. Her feet dragged across the grass towards the front door.

She knocked twice before leaning against the door frame. She closed her eyes for a moment only to drift off completely. She never heard the door open.

* * *

Elena woke up in a strange bed. Sunlight streamed in through a window to her right. There were leather bound books on the bedside table along with a clock that told her it was midafternoon. She quietly removed the blanket and slipped from the bed. Someone had removed her shoes and set them at the foot of the bed. She ignored them in favour of her bag and what appeared to be an ensuite.

After she had brushed her teeth and pulled on some clean clothes she headed back into the bedroom. She brushed her hair and slipped on her shoes before exiting the bedroom.

"Afternoon darling," Kol grinned at her as she descended the stairs.

"Hi Kol," Elena sat at the table with him. Coffee and pastries had been laid out on the table. "Would you care to tell me how I got inside?"

"You fell asleep before anyone could answer the door," Kol poured a cup of coffee for Elena, "Nik carried you upstairs and put you to bed."

"If you had called ahead of time I could have had a guest room made up," Klaus dropped into a chair at the table.

"Klaus," Elena greeted as she ran her finger around the rim of her coffee cup. "Whose bed did you put me in?"

"Why didn't you call?" Klaus frowned at her. "I wasn't expecting you until next weekend, love."

"I would have called, but I didn't have my phone," Elena shrugged meeting his gaze. "I had to leave in a hurry to avoid…" Elena trailed off and took a long pull of her coffee.

"Was this someone a Salvatore?" Kol smirked leaning across the table to top off the coffee.

"Yes," Elena sighed running a hand through her hair. "He's having a hard time accepting the fact that I want nothing to do with him."

"That'll be Damon then," Klaus leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands together.

"He was never good at picking up subtle hints," Kol crossed his arms on the table top, "if I recall correctly."

"Or explicit statements," Elena muttered darkly before biting into a beignet.

"He was always a bit obsessed with you," Klaus chuckled. "Finish your coffee love. When you're done I'll take the blood and you can spend the weekend relaxing before you head back home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah reviews: the life's blood of the author.
> 
> Thoughts on the chapter? What do you think about the new dynamic between Elena and Klaus?
> 
> Are there any other characters you'd like to see? Whose bed did she wake up in? Which Salvatore was on the phone?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the Vampire Diaries or The Originals  
> This is the first chapter to feature Elijah. And I'm sorry but he will not be back for a while.

Elena rolled her head from side to side before entering the church. So far she had explored the French Quarter, the Cauldron, and the cemetery. Klaus had insisted that she eat something before leaving the compound; as a result she had gotten a much later start than she had wanted.

Elena released a deep sigh when her feet entered the sanctuary. She had stepped inside to get out of the heat and ask directions, but now that she was here she decided to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the building. She strolled up the aisle running her fingers along the ends of the pews. She smiled at the colours dancing across her skin; the stained glass windows and the afternoon sun bathed the open room in living colour. She kept moving and came to a stop in front of the votive candles; half of them were lit indicating the number of prayers that had been offered today.

“May I help you?”

She spun on her heel to see a middle aged man in a priest’s collar approaching her. His shoulders seemed to droop under an invisible weight, but his smile was kind and warm.

“Hello,” Elena smiled and secured her purse on her arm. “I’m a bit lost,” she shrugged one shoulder as if to say that it was inevitable she should be, “I was looking around some of the universities… and now I’m completely turned around.”

“Where are you trying to go?”

“The French Quarter,” Elena motioned in the direction she thought it might be. She struggled to remember the name Klaus had christened his house, “specifically the Abattoir.”

“The Abattoir?” From the way his head snapped up Elena could tell that he recognized the house. “You must know the Mikaelsons.”

“Yes I do Father…”

“Kiaran.”

“Father Kiaran,” Elena smiled nervously. The Mikaelson’s had many enemies, and Elena was not sure in that moment if admitting that she was ‘friends’ with them was a good idea. The only Mikaelson she had considered a friend from the beginning had been out of her life for the past five years – they kept missing each other – but the rest of the family had started to grow on her. “They are friends of mine; I’m actually staying with them.”

“You have dangerous friends, miss,” Father Kiaran sighed but proceeded to give Elena directions.

“Thank you,” Elena waved and set off in the direction of the compound. She was passing by Rousseau’s when she decided she wasn’t ready to go back yet.

She slipped into the crowded restaurant and made her way towards the bar. A blond woman was polishing glasses on the other side of the counter. Elena took a seat on a stool in front of the woman.

“What can I get you?”

Elena quickly looked over the menu before deciding on one of the classic drinks of New Orleans.

“I will have a Brandy Crusta,” Elena smiled and read the woman’s nametag, “Cami.” She placed her elbows on the bar.

“Coming up,” Cami smiled and moved to mix the drink. She glanced up at Elena as she poured the Cognac. “Are you new in town? I don’t think I’ve seen you around.”

“I’m just visiting a … friend,” Elena’s brow furrowed as she thought of the family that she found her fate tied to. “I’m headed home tomorrow.”

“Have you enjoyed the city?” Cami set the orange drink in front of Elena. Something about her seemed strange, but Cami couldn’t place her finger on it.

“I have,” Elena was slightly surprised to find the admission true. She grimaced when the sour drink coated her tongue. “I’d love to stay longer, but I’ve got to get back home for Christmas.”

“To bad,” Cami smiled before leaving to wipe down the other side of the counter.

“Can I buy you another drink?”

Elena turned to see a young man with dark skin, and curly dark hair. He had thrown one hand on the counter beside her, and was now invading her personal space. Elena fought the shudder when she took in the self-satisfied smirk on his lips; he thought she was a sure thing.

“No thank you,” Elena frowned and leaned as far back as the stool would allow in an attempt to put space between them. “I’m alright.”

“Oh come on,” Elena found herself staring into his eyes when he stepped closer, “it’s just one drink.”

Elena could feel the icy dread creeping up her spine when she saw his pupils dilate ever so slightly. Her hand instinctively rose to her throat to finger the silver locket. When her finger made contact with the cold metal she felt herself relax.

“No thank you,” she repeated her earlier answer with a bit more force. She traced the rim of her glass and watched through narrow eyes as the vampire appeared to deflate before leaving her in peace.

“For a moment there I thought I might have to intervene.”

Elena started when she heard the smooth voice she had missed so much. She spun on her barstool and drank in the sight. He hadn’t changed much. His smile – which had been so rare in Mystic Falls – reached his eyes when she faced him. The smile on his face caused a familiar flutter to start in her abdomen.

“Elijah,” she grinned when he sat beside her, “while I appreciate the sentiment I don’t need any help.”

“You may have found yourself in quite a lot of trouble,” Elijah chuckled and signaled to Cami to order a drink. His gaze then turned to Elena and settled on the hollow of her throat, “without that locket.”

“Lucky I’m always wearing it then.” Elena finished her drink and licked her lips slowly to remove the last of the sugar, before trying to meet his gaze. She found the task rather difficult as his eyes were fixed on her mouth. She quickly waved her hand in front of him, “my eyes are up here, Elijah,” she couldn’t help the grin when she caught the slight flush on his neck.

“Thank you Cami,” Elijah cleared his throat and accepted the drink.

Elena was mildly surprised when Cami replaced her glass with a fresh drink. She cast a sideways glance at Elijah to find him staring at her.

“Are you going to refuse a drink from me as well?” He smiled waiting for her response; the grin didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“That depends,” Elena teased she leaned closer to him and eyed the glass. “Are you going to keep me company while I drink it?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Elijah smirked while the lights from the bar danced in his dark eyes.

Elena could feel the fluttering in her abdomen again. Elijah waited until she took a drink to ask.

“How have you been, Elena?”

“Good,” Elena shrugged with a small smile, “nobody’s tried to kill me for a while now. How about you? It’s been five years since I’ve seen you.”

“Five years is not that long.”

“Maybe not for you,” Elena quipped with a smirk. “A lot can change in five years,” she crossed her legs on the stool and spun to face him fully leaning against the counter. “You seem more relaxed than you were in Mystic Falls.”

“I am,” Elijah thought over the past few years, “and you seem older.”

“I am 23 now.” While she didn’t look old it was clear from her lean figure, and thinner face that she was no longer a teenager. She had also cut her hair in a face framing style that ended at her shoulders. “I do hope you’re not calling me old.”

“Perhaps older was not the right term,” Elijah mused smiling at her. Elena found her eyes drawn to the curve of his lip that formed a small smirk. “You seem more mature; sure of yourself.” The smirk slipped when he turned to asked his next question, “How are the Salvatores?”

“They,” Elena trailed off searching for the perfect phrase to describe the brothers, “are obsessive control freaks.” She took a drink while she thought about the last time she had spoken to them. “I haven’t seen either one of them in nearly a year now.”

“Why is that?” Elijah couldn’t stop the hopeful tone from entering his voice.

“They,” she waved the glass on the word, “decided that I would ‘choose’ one of them and the other would leave forever.” She sighed before continuing, “I made my decision. I wasn’t going to come between them. They continued to insist I make a decision – because apparently they don’t understand the word no – so I broke off all contact.”

“Did they take that well?”

“Stefan did, after a few months,” Elena regarded him through wide eyes. She leaned her head on her hand before continuing, “Damon did not; he’s been calling non-stop since I left. I eventually had to change my number; then he started calling Caroline.”

They finished their drinks in a companionable silence; every once in a while they would sneak glances at each other. Elijah offered to escort her back to the compound. They chatted about idle things along the way. When they finally entered the empty courtyard Elena found herself laughing about something Elijah had said. Her giggles were silenced when Elijah’s hand came up to cup her cheek.

She felt the air flow from her lungs. His eyes gazed into hers. Several emotions swam in his dark gaze; Elena knew they were reflected in her own. She saw his gaze drop from her eyes to her lips. She let out a small breath that fanned out across the air between them.

Neither one of them knew who lent in first. One moment they were staring at each other, the next their mouths had met in a timeless dance.

Elijah could hear her heartrate increase when he ran his tongue along her bottom lip. He pulled back to allow Elena to catch her breath. His forehead rested against hers and he heard her take in three quick breaths before she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and tugged him into another kiss.

His hands found their way to Elena’s back; he pulled her closer causing her to gasp. Elijah took advantage of her open mouth and slipped his tongue inside to tangle with hers.

She moaned when she felt his hands glide down to grasp the backs of her thighs. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. She pulled back to draw in several ragged breaths. His pupils were dilated and his lips swollen. Elena imagined she must have looked much the same.

There was a small whoosh of air and suddenly Elena found herself pressed firmly against the door inside of the bedroom she had woken up in. She tilted her head to the side to give him better access to her neck. As Elijah trailed open mouthed kisses along her throat Elena slipped his jacket off his broad shoulders.

* * *

 

Elena woke up in the same bed with the sun shining on her face. A strong arm was wrapped around her waist. Her back was pressed firmly against Elijah’s chest. She rolled over with a sleepy smile and propped herself up on her elbow.

“Oh,” Elena winced as the room started spinning. She raised her free hand to press firmly against her forehead.

“Elena?” Cool fingers felt along her brow before moving to the bite mark on her neck. “Are you alright?”

“A little dizzy,” Elena admitted with a small frown. The room continued to swim in her vision, so she pressed her eyes firmly shut.

“I took too much,” Elijah frowned and fingered the wound on her neck. “I shouldn’t have.” He bit into his wrist before offering it to her.

She grimaced before swallowing a few mouthfuls of blood. She felt the wound close. After a few seconds she was as good as new.

“It’s fine, Elijah,” Elena laid her hand over his when she realized he was still stroking the area where the wound had been. “If I didn’t want you to bite me I would have said so.”

“Still-“

Elena silenced his protests with a quick kiss.

“It’s fine,” Elena breathed pulling back to smile at him. “It’s not as if I’m a stranger to blood loss,” she teased running her fingers down his arm.

“You shouldn’t make jokes about that,” Elijah smiled. He cupped the back of her neck pulling her close to kiss her jawline. He grinned against her mouth when she slung a leg over his waist to straddle him.

Several hours later Elijah watched Elena’s car leave the city. He could have sworn he felt a part of himself go with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the Vampire Diaries or the Originals.

His fingers trailed lazily up and down Elena’s bare back. She hummed contentedly and snuggled closer into Elijah’s chest. This was the perfect morning. The sun filled the room with soft light and warded off the chill so often found in January. They were alone and enveloped in a layer of tranquility; something so rare in their lives. Elena wanted to stay wrapped in it forever.

“Don’t you start classes today?” Elijah’s deep voice was quiet in an attempt to not disturb the peaceful bubble that they found themselves in.

“Not yet,” Elena breath fanned out across his chest. “I want to stay here a little while longer.”

“Are you sure?” He gently kissed the top of her hair. Elena lifted her head to look in his brown eyes. “I wouldn’t want to keep you away from anything.”

“Liar,” Elena scoffed cupping his cheek. Her hand traced the stubble beginning to form on his jaw. “You’d gladly keep me here all day.”

“You are right,” Elijah chuckled peering into her laughing eyes. “I would keep you here without a second thought, as long as that is alright with you.”

Elena grinned before stretching upwards. She captured his lips in a lazy kiss. Elena sighed when Elijah slipped his tongue into her mouth; she could feel her heart hammering in her chest. There was no rush, no urgency in this moment; they were just them. Elena smiled when she pulled back to draw in several shallow breaths, and giggled when Elijah took the opportunity to kiss her nose.

Elena’s hand came up to trace the blurred lines of the tattoo over his heart. He may have acted calm, but Elena knew that her presence affected him; his heart beat unsteadily against her palm.

He opened his mouth to speak when a feminine voice disturbed their Utopia. Caroline was calling through the door. It pierced through the room with no regard for the carefully constructed peace the couple had obtained.

“Ignore her,” Elena urged with a small groan. Her hand splayed across his chest as she leaned down to kiss him again.

“Elena!” Caroline proved to be too hard to ignore.

* * *

 

“Elena!” Caroline shook her shoulders effectively rousing her from sleep.

Elena slapped her hands away and rolled over. She tugged the blankets up over her head and attempted to return to her dream. It wouldn’t be too difficult; she had been exhausted over the last few weeks. She mentally opened the door of the sunbathed bedroom that held her companion. She had been dreaming of him since she left New Orleans; always in the same room. Before Elena could fully immerse herself in the fantasy her body was assaulted with a blast of cold air.

Caroline had torn the blankets from the bed.

“Care,” Elena shivered. She curled into the fetal position and glared at her best friends. If looks could kill – and Caroline could die – she would be dead right now.

“You made me promise to wake you up,” Caroline raised her hands in an attempt to placate the brunette. “I don’t why you’re so tired lately,” Caroline stood up to fetch the coffee she had brought, “it’s mid-January. We’ve only been back at school a few weeks.” She watched Elena take a sip of coffee before setting the cup aside to dress for class.

Elena pulled a pair of jeans from the closet along with a red sweater. She tugged the items on before turning back to Caroline.

The blond had gotten a blood bag from the fridge. Elena watched as she proceeded to down the blood like a juice box. Something shifted in Elena’s stomach as she watched an act she had seen hundreds of times.

A moment later she was heaving over the wastebasket. Slim fingers pulled back her hair as Elena emptied the contents of her stomach.

“Are you ok?” Caroline concern was written in the small frown on her face. Her cold fingers felt Elena’s warm forehead. “Do you want some blood,” she moved to bite into her wrist, “it’ll knock whatever bug you’ve got right out.”

“No thanks,” Elena grimaced and raised a hand to pull Caroline’s arm from her mouth; the thought of the coppery liquid piqued her nausea. She closed her eyes and rested a hand over her churning stomach. “It’ll pass soon.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Caroline raised an eyebrow. She leaned back on her arms and regarded her friend through wide green eyes.

“I’ve been feeling a little nauseous all week,” Elena murmured waving off her friends concern. “It comes on and then goes just as quickly.”

Caroline quickly processed the information. Elena had been off since they’d returned to Whitmore. She’d been: tired, lethargic, moody, and – by her own admission – sick. A thought began to take shape in Caroline’s mind; the only explanation for every symptom.

“Elena,” Caroline whispered tilting her head to one side, “are you … pregnant?”

“What?” Elena’s eyes widened comically as she burst into hysterical laughter. “No,” she shook her head after the fit subsided, “I can’t be.”

“Elena,” Caroline crossed her arms and leaned closer to Elena. They were sitting cross legged on the dorm room floor, so she could only get so close. Her ears strained to pick up the sound that would confirm the quickly forming theory. “You are human; you could be pregnant.” A soft fluttering sound reached her ears from the direction of Elena’s abdomen. “When was your last period?”

“I,” Elena thought back. She vaguely remembered being a little too fond of the pies at Thanksgiving dinner. “I don’t remember for sure.” She chewed on her bottom lip, “it might have been Thanksgiving.”

“That was two months ago,” Caroline peered into Elena’s wide eyes. Caroline raised an eyebrow urging Elena to come to the conclusion on her own.

“Alright,” Elena held the wastebasket close  as another wave of nausea rolled over her, “maybe I’m a little late, but I’m not pregnant,” she frowned causing a crease to appear in her brow, “I can’t be.”

“Why not?” Caroline narrowed her eyes in disbelief. “I know you haven’t been seeing anyone,” she smirked when she remembered the way Elena had spent days walking on air, “but you seemed … blissful … when you came back from New Orleans.”

“Care,” Elena stared at a spot on the floor as heat flooded her cheeks. “That was – I can’t – I mean I did, but I-I-“

Caroline stifled a chuckle before taking pity on Elena. She surged forward and placed a hand on Elena’s abdomen; directly over the steady thumping that seemed to fill the room.

“Elena,” Caroline smiled softly, “I’m going to save us some time here, alright?” She waited for the nervous nod before continuing in a steady, soothing voice.

“You are pregnant,” she held up a hand to stop the protest, “I can hear the heartbeat. I don’t know why you think you’re not,” Caroline leaned back again to give her some space, “birth control isn’t always effective. You know that.”

Elena stared at Caroline through narrow eyes. Her gaze slowly drifted to her flat stomach. She raised a shaking hand to press gently over the area Caroline’s hand had occupied a moment before.

She believed Caroline.

She didn’t know how it was possible, but she trusted Caroline’s word. She wouldn’t lie about this.

Ice ran through her veins and down her spine sending tremors through her body.

“Sweetie,” Caroline hugged Elena tightly and rubbed her back soothingly. “Do you not-not want a baby?” She narrowed her eyes slightly and tilted her head to the side. “I know the circumstances are not ideal, but I always thought you wanted a family.”

“It’s not that, Care,” Elena sniffled wiping a tear from her cheek. She couldn’t decide how she felt: confused, angry, sad, happy, worried. Emotions swam through her mind in an overwhelming tide. “I do want a family – I do. I just don’t understand how it happened.”

“Did nobody ever give you the talk?” Caroline teased attempting to lighten the mood. “When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much,” Caroline brought her hand together and linked her fingers in a joining motion, “they make – “

“Shut up, Care,” Elena bumped her shoulder with a laugh.

“Why don’t you understand?” Caroline’s voice grew serious again.

“Because,” Elena sighed before meeting Caroline’s gaze. “Because vampires can’t have children.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has anyone figured out the twist yet? All will be revealed within the next few chapters.  
> Reviews are golden. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

A chill had entered the room. It wasn’t right; she deep down that the chill should not be there. This place was meant to be warm, bright and peaceful; always and forever. The sun had hidden itself behind a blanket of clouds. The heat had been withdrawn. She could feel the weight of a secret; heavy on her heart.

She felt guilty scooting closer to Elijah’s sleeping form, holding her secret inside. Still she moved as close to him as possible; his body radiated heat.

Elena propped herself up on one elbow to gaze on his sleeping face. She didn’t understand how he could appear so calm while a storm raged inside of her. A war was being fought in her mind. Should she let him sleep, or wake him to hear her impossible news?

Her free hand came up, but froze. His fingers hovered over his shoulder poised to shake him awake.

She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t tell him without first understanding herself. Elena closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. She lowered her hand to rest against his warm cheek.

Elijah’s eyes snapped open.

Elena jumped before frowning and biting her lip; she chewed the flesh nervously. She tried to pull her hand away, but was stopped by Elijah’s reflexes.

“You’re freezing,” he held her icy hand in his own. Elijah placed a small kiss to her palm before he reached for the blankets. “What’s wrong?” He tucked the comforter up around her chin before linking their fingers together.

“Nothing,” Elena’s eyes focused on his chin. She could see the stubble forming. “I’m fine.” Her fingertip trailed along the edge of the blanket.

“You’re lying.” There was nothing malicious in his tone; he tilted her chin up to see her misty gaze. His thumb caught a single tear that escaped her narrow eyes. “Don’t lie to me, Elena.”

“I’m not,” Elena swore, “not really. I just don’t know how to tell you this.”

“You can tell me anything.”

* * *

 

A resounding crash echoed against the walls; it was followed quickly by maniacal laughter. The laughter was followed by what sounded like a screaming match.

There was no way he would be able to go back to sleep. He mentally cursed his parents for having so many children before climbing out of bed to break up the newest scuffle caused by his siblings.

His hand shot out to catch the vase Kol had thrown in the direction of Niklaus’ head. If the destruction in the courtyard was any indication then Kol had done something incredibly foolish.

“What is going on in here?” Niklaus looked up from where he now stood twisting Kol’s arm behind his back.

“He filled my art studio with balloons,” Niklaus glared at his younger brother.

“That seems harmless enough.”

“They were filled with glitter,” he wrenched Kol’s arm. A sickening crack echoed in the courtyard. “When they popped the glitter destroyed the painting I was working on.”

“Personally I think you have more than enough paintings of her anyway,” Kol used his left hand to reset the broken bone. He quickly danced away from Niklaus when he moved to grab him again.

Elijah flashed across the room before Niklaus could break off a chair leg.

“That’s enough, Niklaus,” Elijah’s tone left no room for argument. “Kol you will clean up the mess in the studio.” He couldn’t suppress the small smile when he turned back to the hybrid, “Kol is correct. You have far too many paintings of Miss. Forbes.”

The brothers turned at the sound of a throat being cleared.

“What happened in here?” Rebekah picked her way carefully towards her brothers. She stepped carefully to avoid the broken glass littering the floor.

“Kol.”

“Oi.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Rebekah shrugged off her jacket and dropped into a chair. “It’s always either Kol or Nik.” She crossed her legs and turned her face to Elijah. “I just came from the Cauldron,” she waited until she had the undivided attention of her family before she continued, “the witches are planning something. I don’t know what exactly; I only know that it has something to do with us.”

* * *

 

“My sister believes that the witches of the city are plotting against my family.” Elijah chose his words carefully, and spoke in an even tone as if he were discussing the weather. “What can you tell me about this?”

“Nothing,” Davina didn’t bother looking up from her sketchbook. “In case you’ve forgotten the community doesn’t exactly speak to me. I haven’t been a true member of the community since before the Harvest.”

Elijah watched intently as her hands swept charcoal across the page. A small dark sun rested against a gray sky in the top right corner of the page. Despite the dark colours and intensity of the charcoal there was something about the image that stirred feelings of joy in his heart.

“I am aware of your situation Davina,” Elijah maintained his even tone even as he watched her fingers smudge the charcoal around the sun. “I’ve come to ask you to find out for me.”

“Just to be clear,” Davina set the finished sketch aside to settle him with an earnest stare, “are you calling in a favour?” He had helped her many times over the years, but he had never asked for anything in return.

“Yes,” Elijah nodded once. This was the first time he had ever asked something of her.

“I’ll do what I can,” Davina pushed her hair back from her forehead and left behind a streak of black, “but, I won’t make any promises.”

“All I ask is that you try.”

Elijah thanked her before he started towards the door. Before he could leave he stopped; his gaze drawn to the sketch.

“Take it,” Davina removed the sketch from the book when she realized he was staring at it. “I’ve been drawing it all afternoon.” Davina handed him the page; she had at least five other copies of it.

“Elijah?” Davina regarded him through narrow eyes as a thought crossed her mind. “Is there anything you wouldn’t do for family?”

“No,” he said looking up from the sketch. He was a little surprised by the change in conversation. “I will fight for my family until my dying breath.”

* * *

 

“That one of Nik’s?” Kol peeked at the sketch over Elijah’s shoulder. “Bit unimaginative.”

“It’s Davina’s,” Elijah chuckled and laid the page on the coffee table, “and I happen to like the drawing.” He slowly sipped his drink.

“I should have known,” Kol chuckled picking up the charcoal drawing, “if it doesn’t contain a blond baby vampire, it’s not Nik’s.” His eyes were drawn to the dark sun that cast zero light against the clouds. “There is something about this drawing though.”

“Yes,” Elijah murmured, “there is.” He finished his drink before reclaiming the paper. He bid Kol goodnight and went to bed; longing for dreams of a beautiful brunette in a sunbathed room.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own TVD or TO

_"You can tell me anything.”_

Elena blinked her eyes slowly coming awake. The promises made in her dreams echoed in her ears. She raised one hand to brush back the mess of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes while she slept. Sighing Elena closed her eyes. She could see Elijah’s steady gaze in her mind’s eye; she could see the open honesty in his eyes. He had meant what he said.

_“You can tell me anything.”_

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, and she blinked them back rapidly. Elena slowly climbed out of the bed and crossed the room to the full mirror on Caroline’s side of the dorm. She took in her haggard appearance.

Her dark hair was tangled in a rats nest on top of her head. Her coffee coloured eyes were swollen from sleep deprivation and ringed in dark circles. She was relieved to see that her bottom lip had finally stopped trembling.

 _No more tears,_ she vowed silently.

Elena turned to the side and raised her oversized sweater. There was a tiny swell between her hip bones; it was barely noticeable, but it was there. Elena felt a little ashamed that she hadn’t noticed the subtle shift in her body.

_“Anything.”_

Her hands came up to caress the still mostly flat expanse of skin. _How can I tell you this?_ She tried to imagine what Elijah’s child would be like. Would it be moral like him? Compassionate like her or sadistic like its uncle Klaus?

She shook herself when she thought of Klaus that way. The hybrid had somehow become her friend over the years.

Maybe the baby would love easily like Rebekah, or be as mischievous as Kol.

The more she thought about her child’s extended family the more anxious she became. Elena sniffed before going to take a shower. Her vow was in serious danger of being broken.

The hot water of the shower succeeded in clearing her head. By the time she had tied her hair back and pulled on some clothes Caroline had returned to the room.

“Is everything ready for the formal?” Elena sat on the edge of her bed to pull on her boots.

“I was actually at the clinic,” Caroline flashed to the closet to grab Elena’s coat and clutch, “compelling you an appointment. It’s in 15 minutes.”

“Why?” Elena accepted the jacket before following Caroline into the hall.

“An ultrasound silly,” Caroline locked the door behind her. “You may not know how you got pregnant, but you should still be able to see your baby,” she slipped her arm into Elena’s, “and have something to show Elijah.”

“Yeah,” Elena tucked a loose curl behind her ear, “because a picture will convince him of what he knows to be impossible.”

“There is always the possibility that he has seen something like this before.” Caroline rocked back on her heels. “He is over a thousand years old. If anyone knows anything about this,” she motioned to Elena’s stomach, “it will be an Original,” she gently tugged Elena along towards the clinic, “or a witch.”

“I want to talk to Bonnie,” Elena chewed her fingernail, “before I tell him. I want an explanation first.” She stared straight ahead to the doors of the clinic.

“You can’t put off telling him forever, Elena,” Caroline spun to face her friend forcing the brunette to meet her gaze. “I know you’re scared,” she hugged Elena tightly, “but you have to tell him. This isn’t something you can hide, Elena.”

“I’ve only known for a day, Care,” Elena pushed open the doors to the clinic. “I’ll call him tomorrow; after I’ve had a chance to talk to Bonnie.”

Elena slowly approached the desk to sign in. The receptionist looked up from her novel when Elena approached.

“I have an appointment,” Elena exhaled slowly to bate off the sudden wave of nausea, “for an ultrasound.”

“You can go right in to exam room 3,” the woman popped her bubble gum loudly. Her voice held was high pitched, but the smell of tobacco was a strong indication that she was a smoker.

The longer she stood in front of the woman the stronger the smell became. Elena offered a weak smile before going down the hallway with Caroline on her heels. The second she entered the room she rushed to open the window and swallow greedy mouthfuls of the cold January air.

“You okay?” Caroline took a seat in a chair beside the exam table.

“Tobacco,” Elena offered by way of explanation. She climbed up on the table. “It made me feel a little sick.”

“You could smell that?”

“It was practically coming off of her in cartoon odor lines.”

“Elena,” Caroline rubbed her hands along her knees, “a human shouldn’t have been able to smell that; it was incredibly subtle.”

“Well you know,” Elena suppressed a laugh, “senses are supposed to be heightened during pregnancy.” The giggle bubbled over when Caroline nodded. “It’s not like this is a typical pregnancy.”

The doctor chose that moment to enter the room, and bring any further conversation between the women to an end.

“Good afternoon,” The woman came up to the bed. “My name is Dr. Meyers. I understand you’re pregnant.” She pulled an ultrasound machine towards the table. “If you’ll just scoot up and lift your shirt we can get a look at your little one.”

The paper crinkled as Elena laid back. She shivered when she lifted her shirt and smiled at Caroline when she rose to close the window. A shudder ran through her again when Dr. Meyers squirted a cold gel on her belly.

“Sorry,” the doctor waved a wand around on Elena’s abdomen, “I know the gel is really cold.” The doctor searched for a moment before she reached up to flip a switch on the monitor. A rapid heartbeat filled the room as the doctor pointed to an area in the top right corner of the screen.

“There is your baby.”

It was roughly the size of a blueberry. The dark spot stood out against the gray expanse that was her uterus.

“Everything looks fine,” Dr. Meyers pushed a few more buttons. “I’m taking a small recording for you. If you have a phone I can upload it for you.” She squinted at the screen for a moment. “There is a slight echo in the heart beat, but that’s likely just the machine; nothing to worry about.”

Caroline passed over Elena’s phone and watched as the doctor loaded the short video.

“Care…” Elena’s voice came out in a choked whisper. She couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face threatening to crack her face in half. “I’m having a baby,” she whispered as moisture spilled from her eyes.

_So much for no more tears._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> I would also like to say that I am very proud of myself. I only planned to update this story once a week, and I've added a new chapter everyday. Plus I've got 2 more chapters written; they just need to be typed.
> 
> I've decided to take some of the storyline from the Originals first season, and tweak it as well. Because naturally this story will not be drama free.

“I texted Bonnie,” Caroline held open the door to the restaurant, “she’s going to meet us here for lunch.”

“Good,” Elena slid into a booth, “this is probably the only chance I’ll get to talk to her today.”

“You keep staring at the ultrasound,” Caroline peered at her friend over the menu. “You’ve got this whole ‘I can’t believe this is happening look’.”

“I can’t,” Elena chuckled, “it is hard to believe.” She laid the phone on the table. “This-this makes it real.”

“It’s always been real, Elena.” Caroline reached out to take her friends hand.

“I know that,” Elena smiled, “it’s not that I didn’t believe you Care- “

“You knew I was telling the truth,” she surmised, “you just needed to see it for yourself.”

Elena nodded. The girls fell into a comfortable silence as the perused the menus. Most of the selections made Elena shudder; she finally settled on soup and a grilled cheese. They gave their orders to the waitress and ordered Bonnie’s usual.

“So what do you want?” Caroline’s finger traced the spot on the ultrasound.

“You just heard me give my order.” Elena frowned and placed her elbows on the table leaning closer.

“Not that,” Caroline snickered. She peeked up at Elena’s flushed face. “I meant the baby. Do you want a boy or girl?”

“Oh, I-uh,” any response Elena might have had was lost to the wind when Bonnie dropped into the booth. She was followed by the waitress and their food.

“I see you ordered for me,” Bonnie smirked at the burger and fries.

“You always get the same thing,” Caroline popped an onion ring in her mouth.

“So does Elena,” Bonnie remarked drily eyeing the soup, “usually.”

“Elena has some exciting news,” Caroline beamed ignoring the way Elena glared over her bowl, “and a very good reason for her change in diet.”

“We’re just jumping right into it then?” Elena fought the urge to kick the blond in the shin.

“No sense in beating around the bush,” Caroline smirked.

“Okay,” Bonnie interrupted what was bound to become a heated staring match. “I am definitely intrigued.”

“Well I’m,” Elena picked up her phone unlocking it. She decided the best course of action would be to blurt it out. “I’m pregnant.” She passed the phone to Bonnie; she was pleased when her hand didn’t shake.

“Congratulations,” Bonnie said while watching the video. “I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone,” Bonnie raised her head and tilted it to one side, “who’s the father?”

“That’s actually why I wanted to have lunch with you today,” Elena stared down at the table, “I need your help.”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know who the father is,” Bonnie sighed. She sat up straight and gasped, “Was it like a three-way situation?”

“No,” Elena shook her head appalled. “It’s not that I don’t know who the father is,” Elena addressed the salt and pepper shaker, “it’s that I don’t know h-how the father c-can be the f-father.”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow,” Bonnie frowned at her friend’s convoluted explanation. She sounded a bit like Caroline when she got agitated and began babbling. “Why don’t you know- “

“Baby daddy’s a vampire,” Caroline blurted in a hushed whisper.

“Caroline!”

“Damon?” Bonnie guessed.

“Elijah,” Caroline supplied with a small grin.

“What?” Bonnie cried. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at Elena with a mixture of emotions.

Several heads spun in the direction of their booth. Bonnie quickly lowered her voice. She leaned against the table before whispering forcefully.

“You slept with Elijah? When did you even see Elijah?”

“December,” Elena answered truthfully, “I ran into him over the break.” She left out the part about Klaus and their ongoing deal.

“When did you figure out you were pregnant?”

“Yesterday,” Elena nibbled on the grilled cheese slowly, “I just had the ultrasound today.”

“That was fast.”

“I compelled someone at the clinic.”

“Bonnie,” Elena reclaimed her phone, “do you have any idea how this could have happened?”

“Do I know how a vampire can reproduce?” Bonnie shook her head. “No, I don’t, but I can check my books… does he know?”

“Not yet. I’m going to call him tomorrow.”

* * *

 

Bonnie huffed and dropped the old book on a pile with the others. She had spent the afternoon pouring over every grimoire that she had spent the last five years gathering only to come up empty handed. If a vampire had ever managed to have a child it had gone unrecorded.

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Bonnie crossed her arms tightly over her chest and drew in long deep breaths. She had nearly drifted off to sleep when a puff of cold air drifted through the room.

“What do you want?” She didn’t bother to open her eyes.

“I want to know why Elena’s avoiding me,” the guttural disembodied reached out from a space several feet in front of her. “I saw you having lunch with her and Blondie earlier.”

“She doesn’t want to see you,” Bonnie peeked out at her from mostly closed eyes, “she doesn’t want to be with you.”

“Why not?” He rushed forward and forced her to look up at him. Once he held her gaze he asked again. “Tell the truth now. Why will Elena never be with me?”

“She’s tied to another,” Bonnie cursed herself for being lax with her vervain lately, “and she’ll be with him for the rest of her life.”

“Relationships end.”

“Not this one,” even as Bonnie said it she knew it was true; Elena and Elijah would be linked forever.

“Why is that?”

“She’s carrying his child.”

“Who’s child?” He blinked in surprise.

“Elijah Mikaelson.” Bonnie didn’t like the way that his jaw ticked at the mention of the Originals name. a hard edge entered his voice and his eyes froze over.

“That’s impossible.” Bonnie didn’t miss the jealousy.

“Don’t I know it,” she mumbled darkly glancing at the pile of discarded books.

“Listen up Bon-Bon,” he placed his hands on the arms of her chair and leaned in close to her face. She shuddered when she saw his pupils dilate slightly. “This child breaks every law of nature. It needs to be destroyed. You are going to forget that I was ever here,” Damon compelled her, “you will only know that the baby needs to die before it’s born,” his voice was positively gleeful as he continued, “because the spirits or whatever told you.”

A cold wind swept out of the room, and Bonnie was left with the voice of Sheila Bennet explaining that Elena’s child would wreak havoc on the balance of nature.

Bonnie reached for the herbs behind her desk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damon's back!
> 
> Let me know what ya'll think.
> 
> Also should it be a boy or a girl? I'm toying with the idea of twins as well.
> 
> How do you think Elijah's going to react?
> 
> I've written up to the point where he finds out, but I haven't written the reaction scene yet.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO  
> I also have the next 2 chapters written I just need to type them.  
> I want to re-write Elijah's reaction to Elena's news first.

Elena adjusted the snowflake pin in her shoulder length curls. Caroline had said that the blue dress and icy accessories had made her look like a snow queen; standing in the bathroom of the hall she felt anything but. She stared at her reflection and wrestled with her emotions. Her clutch lay on the bathroom counter the contents spilled outwards towards the sink.

She was having a hard time looking herself in the eyes, so instead she looked at the ultrasound video on her phone. Elena knew that she was not afraid to tell him, she just didn’t want to do it over the phone. If they were still in the same city she probably would have told him already.

She drew in a shaky breath to steel her nerves and scrolled through her contacts. This couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

“The number you have reached has been disconnected,” a mechanical voice chimed, “if you think this call has been made in error please hang up and try your call again.”

Elena double checked to make sure she had called the correct number before trying again. When she received the same pre-recorded message she knew. Sometime, in the years since he left Mystic Falls, Elijah had changed his phone number.

“Crap.”

She knew what she had to do, but the thought of going through Klaus was nerve wracking. She hoped he wouldn’t ask too many questions because she was not prepared to lie, but she also didn’t want to tell Klaus before she told Elijah.

Klaus picked up the phone on the third ring.

“Good evening, Elena,” his accented voice flowed down the line, “to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure.”

“I-uh,” Elena stammered. She peeked at her reflection through her eyelashes to find that the blood had drained from her face. “I’m looking for Elijah – trying to get a hold of him,” she managed to say in a semi-casual voice. “Is he there?”

“Sorry love,” Klaus tried to mask the confusion in his tone. “He’s out at the moment. Can I take a message?”

Had Elena not been so preoccupied she might have noted the wry tone he used to ask the question.

“No,” she shook her head before realizing that Klaus had no way of seeing the action. “Can you text me his number please?”

“Sure,” Klaus murmured. He thought he’d heard a hint of anxiety in her whispered request. “Is everything alright, love?”

“It will be soon,” she promised, “just text me the number please. Quickly,” _before I lose my nerve._ She hung up the phone.

Thirty seconds later she received a text message from Bonnie asking her to meet her by the front doors. She quickly gathered her things back into her clutch before she headed for the dance floor. As long as she was waiting she may as well see what Bonnie had found out. Elena made it halfway across the dance floor when a hand snaked out to coil around her wrist. She inhaled sharply as her body spun quickly to face her assailant.

Damon.

“Hey Baby,” he smirked down at her. His blue eyes glittered dangerously as he strained his ears to hear the fluttering sound from her abdomen.

“Don’t call me that,” Elena tugged her arm free and took a subconscious step back. “When are you going to accept the fact that I’m not interested in you.” Her clutch vibrated to signal a new message.

“Why not, Elena?” Damon followed her retreating form step for step. “We belong together,” his smirk took on a hard edge and he reached out to stroke a hand down her cheek, “you must see that. You love me.”

“No Damon,” Elena shook her head slowly, “I don’t. You wanted me to make a decision and I did: I chose myself.”

“That’s bull, Elena. You have a tendency to make stupid decisions. Or have you forgotten the whole business with Elijah and the elixir?” He stopped advancing suddenly and fixed her with an icy stare. “Is there someone else?”

“Damon, I do not want to be with you, now or ever.” She felt her body shake with barely concealed rage. “The elixir may have worked, but you decided to disregard my choice and shove your bleeding wrist in my mouth. Just leave me alone.” Elena avoided answering his last question. She wasn’t ready to admit that she did have feelings for someone else; that there had always been someone else. “Now if you’ll excuse me Bonnie is waiting.”

She didn’t wait for an answer before spinning on her heel to cross the rest of the dance floor. She weaved through the sweaty bodies of her classmates and stepped out into the night. She could see Bonnie waiting for her on the stone steps.

“Hey,” Elena approached slowly to avoid tripping on the ice in her heels, “did you find something?”

“Yes and no,” Bonnie frowned. Her breath made white clouds in the cold air, “I couldn’t find anything in the books, but the spirits came to me.”

“And? Has anything like this happened before?”

“They didn’t say. They told me that the child shouldn’t exist. That it breaks all of the laws of nature.”

“What?” Elena hugged her arms protectively to her stomach.

“Take these herbs and it will all be over,” Bonnie placed the small packet into Elena’s hand, “painlessly.”

“Bonnie,” Elena took a step back from her friend, “I’m not going to end the pregnancy. If it were against the laws of nature then it wouldn’t have happened right?”

“You have to end it, Elena.” There was an intense look in Bonnie’s eyes that frightened Elena. “This child will destroy the balance.” She motioned to the herbs, “I’ll walk you back to the dorm so you can take them tonight.”

Elena murmured something about getting her coat and telling Caroline that she was leaving. She rushed back into the building in search of the blond vampire; she had no intention of returning to Bonnie. She found Caroline barking out instructions to members of the cleaning crew.

“Caroline,” panic seeped into her cry immediately catching the attention of her friend. “Bonnie,” she gasped waving the small packet, “says I need to end the pregnancy; that I need to kill my baby. She’s insisting, Care.”

Elena felt tears welling in her eyes as Caroline ushered her towards the coat check. She started babbling as she was helped into her jacket. “I’m scared of what she’ll do if I don’t take the herbs; she was really intense. I won’t let anyone hurt my baby, Care.”

She continued to babble as Caroline led her out a back door towards the dorm. She didn’t stop until Caroline opened the dorm’s door and started throwing things into a couple of duffle bags.

“What are you doing?” Elena took the bag that Caroline held out to her. She peered inside to find her laptop, journal and chargers.

Caroline continued to flash around the room grabbing every essential she could think of.

“Packing,” Caroline threw the duffle bags and her back pack over her shoulder. “We both know what Bonnie is like when she thinks she has to protect the balance. I’m taking you far, far away.” She grabbed her purse and car keys before pulling the door shut.

Elena allowed Caroline to pull her towards the car. She tossed the bags in the trunk and hastened Elena into the car. They were driving through North Caroline when Elena remembered the text message. She opened it to find a series of numbers from Klaus.

“Any suggestions on where to go?” Caroline chirped from the driver’s seat in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“New Orleans,” Elena pressed the call number button on her phone and checked the clock, it was a little after midnight, “there’s someone I need to see.” She counted the rings with bated breath: one, two, three, four, five.

“Hello,” his voice usually smooth as silk was thick with sleep.

“Elijah.” Elena tried to ignore the sideways stare coming from Caroline.

“Elena? Is something wrong?”

“Yes and no,” Elena whispered so low that if Elijah had not been a vampire he wouldn’t have heard her. “I’m on my way to New Orleans. There’s something I have to show you – tell you.”

“What is it?” She could tell he was more alert now.

“Not over the phone,” Elena insisted, “this is a face to face conversation.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Reviews have been proven to make writers work faster.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> Two updates in one day. I made some changes to this chapter mid write, so the next one may take a few days to come out as I have to change it to reflect this one.
> 
> Enjoy

“Damn it!”

Elena jolted awake in her seat. She peered through the window with bleary eyes. They were pulled over on the side of the main road leading into New Orleans. If Elena had to guess she’d say they were only a fifteen minute drive from the compound. Judging by the way Caroline was bent over the open hood of the car it was going to take a lot longer than that.

She watched as Caroline came around the side of the car when she realized that Elena was awake. Caroline leaned inside the open window. She was still wearing the red dress from the formal; there was an oil stain across the skirt.

“We seem to be having some car trouble,” Caroline’s smile was tense. “Can you call an Original for a ride?”

“Sure,” Elena nodded, “but didn’t you just get the car tuned up?” She searched the car for her phone. She found it on the floor in the backseat. Elena had just looked up after hitting redial when Caroline shrieked.

Elena dropped the phone and scrambled out of the car.

Caroline was kneeling in the dirt clutching her hands to her head. A witch stood behind her, but turned away when she spotted Elena. Before Caroline could stand up she was being pinned down by a werewolf. The knowledge of the curse on the cities werewolves sent Elena running forward. Elena made it three feet before arms wrapped around her waist; a damp cloth came up to cover her screams.

The last thing she saw was the wolf taking a bite out of Caroline’s shoulder.

* * *

 

Caroline stumbled along the street.

After the werewolf had bitten her, Caroline somehow managed to break its neck. She was too late though. Elena had already been shoved into the back of a non-descript car. Caroline attempted to follow the vehicle but the werewolf venom was already taking its toll.

Caroline now found herself half a block away from the Original’s house. Her body burned with a fever. Every step sent pain shooting from the bit on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before running at vampire speed the rest of the way.

She came to an abrupt stop in front of a fountain. She could just make out the bewildered look on Klaus’ face before her vision went black.

Elena slowly opened her eyes. She was in a dimly lit stone chamber. Candlelight flickered against the rough walls. If not for the quiet voices coming from around the corner Elena would have thought she was alone.

She tried to stand up only to find her arms and legs bound together. Instead she shimmied into a seating position and shuffled closer to the edge of the room to listen to the female voices on the other side.

* * *

 

“Is everything ready?” The voice sounded young; like a girl who was trying to seem older than she was.

“Yes, in a matter of moments the mother will be linked to Sophie.”

“Good, we are going to need some added insurance.”

Elena’s heart leapt when a blond came around the corner. She momentarily thought it was Caroline, but that thought was soon gone. This girl was blond with green eyes, but that was as far as the resemblance went.

Before Elena could scream a hand clamped down over her mouth. She stared at the woman with wide eyes. The blond raised a finger to her lips to signify that Elena should stay quiet.

“Shhh, I’m here to help you.” Elena had always believed that the eyes were the windows to the soul, and this woman had very honest eyes. “There are four witches out there, and I can’t take them all on my own, so I need you to be quiet.”

* * *

 

Caroline opened her eyes slowly to find Klaus’ wrist in her mouth. Elijah and Kol were watching her intently. She pushed Klaus’ arm away gently before standing up.

“Miss. Forbes – “

“Elena’s in trouble,” Caroline interrupted Elijah before he could finish whatever question he was going to ask. “I was attacked by a wolf and a witch on the way into town. They took her while I was occupied.”

“I assume by they that you mean the witches.” Kol had jumped to his feet to grab Elijah’s arm before he could run off in search of the doppelgänger.

“Yes,” Caroline rocked back on her heels quickly, “they gave me one nasty headache before sending in the wolf. Where would they take her?”

“The cemetery,” Klaus supplied following after Elijah who had shaken off Kol and flashed off in that direction. “Why would the witches take Elena?”

“You’ll have to ask her,” Caroline flashed after them, “she’d stake me if she knew I told you first.”

* * *

 

“This place is huge. How are we ever going to find her?” Caroline felt dread creep into her chest; she couldn’t shake it. Would these witches think the same thing as Bonnie? Maybe they had just taken her because she was the doppelganger.

“The witches like to practice in some of the mausoleums,” Elijah motioned ahead of them, “they’re in the centre.”

“Why would they take Elena?” Elijah spun around to face Caroline.

“I don’t know,” she cursed herself when she heard her heart skip a beat, “not for sure anyway.”

“If you had to venture a guess, darling?” Kol stopped them outside of a crypt. The distant sound of chanting could be heard coming from within. Caroline pushed past him and descended the stairs with a glare.

They knew she was lying through her teeth.

* * *

 

“They want to bind you to Sophie so that they can use you as leverage,” the blond explained in a hushed whisper. Elena could only assume they were going to use her against Klaus. “I can’t stop them, not without getting myself killed, but I can try to reverse it later.”

Elena glared when another witch came around the corner to see what was taking so long.

“What’s the hold up?” The woman was young; little more than a girl. “We need to seal the binding spell now.”

“Are you sure this will work Davina?” An older woman called from around the corner.

“Yes,” the young girl replied, “Elijah Mikaelson will do anything for family.”

_Elijah?_ Fear spread through her body from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. _They know!_

Davina stepped forward and grasped Elena’s bound hands with her own. Elena bit back a scream when she pulled out a curved knife and sliced into her palm. She could have sworn she saw the blond mouth ‘I’m sorry’ as she caught the blood in a shallow bowl.

* * *

 

“Are we sure these are the right witches?” Caroline murmured.

“She’s in there,” Elijah stared vacantly towards the interior.

“How do you know?” Klaus arched one eyebrow.

“I just do,” he murmured before flashing into the room.

* * *

 

“Miss Deveraux,” Elijah’s smooth voice was polite, but there was no mistaking the authority in it, “I believe you have something of mine.”

“He has no idea just how accurate that sentence is,” the blond witch murmured around the corner to Elena. She stood apart from the coven and was shrouded in shadow. Elijah thought she looked familiar; something about her stance betrayed her displeasure at the proceedings.

“We weren’t expecting you so soon,” Sophie rose from her position on the floor shooting a glare at the blond in the corner. When she rose to her feet Elijah caught a glimpse of Davina sitting before a bloody knife.

A white hot rage raced through his veins when he recognized the scent of the blood. He became unaware of everything else in the room as his vision tunneled; all he could see was that bloody knife. He didn’t see the blond turn the corner, or hear his brothers enter the room with Caroline. The screams of the witches never reached his ears.

When his hands closed around Sophie’s throat and he fell to his knees. A blinding pain shot through his head only to recede a moment later. Elijah looked up to see the blond witch who had controlled the aneurysm standing with Elena.

“If you kill her you kill Elena.” Her voice was strangely calm as she stood in the wreckage of the coven. Davina had disappeared and two witches lay dead on the floor, but still she was calm.

“What are you talking about?” Caroline crossed the stone floor to wrap Elena in her arms.

“They are linked.”

“What could you possibly hope to gain from that?” Klaus’ anger was directed at Sophie, it was as if he had yet to notice the blond. Kol on the other hand couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

“Leverage,” Sophie’s hand closed around the bruise forming on her throat.

“Why should I care what happens to the doppelganger?” Klaus growled.

“And here I thought we were friends,” Elena rasped; she found it hard to speak after being nearly strangled.

“We don’t want leverage over you,” Sophie barked before pointing to Elijah, “we wanted it over him.”

“Why would you think you could manipulate Elijah with Elena?” Kol stepped forward to address Sophie.

“Aside from the fact that he, being unaware of her condition, tried to kill every witch in here?” The blond laughed as if they were discussing the weather.

“What condition?” Elijah had recovered from his aneurysm and risen to his feet.

“She’s – “

“pregnant,” Elena cut in before Sophie could reveal her secret. “This is not where I thought I’d be when I shared this,” her voice grew stronger as she explained, “I’m pregnant. And I don’t know how, but it’s yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OC in this chapter. Can anyone guess why Elijah thinks she looks familiar? Why Kol can't stop staring? Who do you think she is?
> 
> Stay tuned for Elijah's reaction to the pregnancy.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.  
> I have also taken some liberties with Kol's back story.

_1702_

_“Lexa,” Kol smoothed blond curls away from her face, “my brothers are on their way. They are going to insist I go with them.”_

_“Can you not simply tell them that you wish to stay?” She slowly traced the planes of his chest with her finger. “Or I could come with you?”_

_“I can’t let you give up everything you’ve ever known for me, little witch,” Kol smiled sadly at her._

_“What if I want to?”_

_“You would willingly spend the rest of your life on the run from my father?”_

_“If it means I get to spend it with you.”_

_Their peace was shattered that night when two Original vampires descended on the tavern. Kol insisted she stay upstairs out of sight, but the sound of raised voices peaked her curiosity. She snuck down the stairs to watch from the landing as a man with dirty blond hair shoved a dagger in her lover’s chest. She locked eyes with the man holding Kol down, as Kol’s body grew grey and ashen, before fleeing up the stairs in her shift._

* * *

 

__Kol stared at the woman he hadn’t seen in over 300 years. She hadn’t aged a day. If he hadn’t seen her give his brother a killer migraine he would have assumed she was a vampire.

“That’s impossible,” Klaus stalked closer to Sophie who backed up towards the wall.

“He’s right,” Elijah came around to approach Elena and Caroline, “vampires cannot have children.” Even as he said it he felt hope start to flutter in his chest.

“It is very possible,” Sophie defiantly tilted her chin to glare at him, “just extremely rare.” Her eyes flickered to the blond in the corner. “I have everything I need. Elena is bound to me and I control her fate.”

“What do you want, Miss Deveraux?” Elijah’s ears strained to pick up the furious fluttering in Elena’s abdomen.

“In short?” Sophie smirked lifting the knife to place against her palm. “I want a shift in the power of New Orleans,” _and to sacrifice the child once it’s born._ “Once that is done we can discuss removing the binding spell.”

“Is it just me or have you yet to explain how this is possible?” Kol grinned as if he found the whole ordeal hilarious and not a life and death situation.

“I can explain that,” the other witch said, “but perhaps it should wait until Elena has had a chance to change, and relax.”

“Who are you?” Klaus finally turned his attention to the woman who had untied Elena’s bonds.

“Her name is Lexa.” Klaus and Elijah turned to Kol who smirked back at them. “I agree with her; Elena needs a chance to change out that dress, it can’t be comfortable. Explanations can wait until we get back to the compound,” Kol turned to Sophie, “assuming Miss Deveraux will allow us to take her from the crypt; it’s no place for an expectant mother.”

* * *

 

“Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?” Elijah led her into the ensuite of his bedroom.

“Yes,” Elena grimaced when she caught sight of her grime covered reflection in the mirror, “although I didn’t plan on having the conversation in a crypt.” She watched him from the corner of her eye. “You’ve been strangely quiet since we left the cemetery.”

“I’ve been listening,” Elijah came closer and helped her untangle the pins from her hair, “to our baby’s heartbeat.”

“You believe me?” She met his dark eyes in the mirror.

“It’s not in your nature to be deceitful Elena,” he shot her a small smile. “Your heart skips a beat whenever you are being dishonest with me.”

He placed the last pin on the counter before reaching for her hand. Lexa had wrapped it in a cloth after Davina had cut her; the bandage was covered in a line of blood.

“Also,” he gently unwrapped the bindings, “your hand has completely healed.” He turned her around and tilted her chin up to meet his eyes. “I don’t know how this happened Elena, but I do believe you.” He hugged her before kissing her forehead.

“Apparently ‘Lexa’ knows and is willing to explain,” Elena laughed. “Does Kol know her?”

“I assume so,” Elijah reached back to turn on the shower. “You get cleaned up, and I’ll find you something to wear. Then we can find out what she knows.”

“Elijah,” Elena called causing him to pause in the doorway, “can you help me with my zipper before you go?”

“Of course,” Elijah waited for her to turn around before drawing the zipper down her back.

“Thank you.”

Elena climbed in the shower after he left. She stood under the warm spray and allowed it to wash away the stress of the last few days. Elena turned the water off when it started to cool down and stepped out of the shower. She wrapped herself in a fluffy white towel and walked back in the bedroom. She pulled on her own underwear before towel drying her hair.

“I borrowed some things from Re-“

Elijah froze when he found her standing in her underwear. His eyes locked on the tiny swell between her hip bones.

“See something interesting?” Elena smirked when she caught him staring at her. “You know most men would stare at a woman’s chest if they walked in on her half naked.”

“I’m sorry,” he sat the clothes on the bed and turned to leave the room and give her some privacy.

“It’s alright,” Elena laughed at the slight blush that coloured his face, “it’s not like you haven’t seen me naked before.” She tugged on the yoga pants and reached for the shirt.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be showing so soon,” he admitted leading her from the room.

“I’m not showing that much, am I?” Elena reached down to rest her hand against the bump that was now hidden by Rebekah’s shirt.

“No,” Elijah shook his head quickly, “you’re not. It’s not noticeable unless you’re looking for it.”

They stopped at the bottom of the stairs to take in one of the more bizarre scenes Elijah had ever seen in the courtyard. Caroline, clean and in borrowed clothes, was kneeling on the ground. She was leaning over Niklaus who appeared to have a broken neck while Kol stared at Lexa and tried not to laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the events that happened while Elena was taking a shower.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

“You can clean up in here,” Klaus opened the door to a large bathroom, “and I can grab something of Rebekah’s for you to wear for now.” He watched Caroline take in the marble fixtures with wide eyes.

“Thanks Klaus,” Caroline unpinned her hair and eyed the mess on her shoulder.

“These should suffice,” she looked up when he flashed back into the room with a small pile of clothes. “I’m assuming you didn’t come to New Orleans with only the clothes on your backs,” he smirked at her backless red dress.

“Mind your eyes,” Caroline admonished taking the bundle of fabric from him. “And yes we came with clothes; they are still in my car where it broke down on the side of the road.”

“That’ll be the main road into the city,” he smiled when Caroline nodded, “I’ll send someone to get your things while you’re in the shower,” he grinned when she kicked off her shoes, “unless of course you’d like some company.”

“I think I’d prefer my bag,” Caroline rolled her eyes and walked him out of the bathroom.

“Later then, sweetheart.”

“Don’t count on it.” Caroline suppressed a groan when she heard him chuckle through the wood of the door. “Make sure they get Elena’s phone to,” she called after his retreating footsteps.

Klaus walked towards the courtyard and dialed Rebekah.

“Good afternoon sister,” he smiled when she answered the phone.

“What do you want, Nik?” He could hear her turn what sounded like the page of a book.

“I need a favour. There is a car broken down on the road into the city; I need you to go and fetch the bags out of it. Then I need you to bring them back to the compound.”

“Don’t you have lackeys for this?”

“I do, but I trust you.” Klaus descended the stairs to see Kol sitting with the witch. “There is a phone out there as well.”

“And when would you like these things delivered?” He heard her set down her book.

“As quickly as possible,” Klaus smiled, “we need you at the compound; you’re going to be an aunt.” He hung up the phone before she could ask any questions.

* * *

 

Lexa had taken a seat at the table in the courtyard and waited for the barrage of questions that were surely coming from Kol. Kol sat beside her as his brothers escorted Caroline and Elena upstairs to clean up. He stared at her with a mixture of confusion and elation. He didn’t get a chance to ask however, as Klaus quickly returned to the courtyard.

“Right then, love,” Klaus dropped into a chair beside Kol and tapped his fingers against the table, “I believe you promised us some answers.”

“No,” she clasped her left hand over her right wrist, “I promised answers to Elena,” a muscle ticked in her jaw, and she glared at Klaus, “not you.”

“Careful, darling,” Kol warned with a small smirk, “Nik’s bite is worse than his bark.”

“Do you have a problem with me, love?” Klaus narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to one side. “What did I ever do to you?” He wracked his brain but he couldn’t remember ever having met this woman before.

“You destroyed my heart,” Lexa rose up and placed her hands on the table. She glared at the hybrid, “along with Elijah 300 years ago.” She stepped back and pointed an accusing finger at him. “Make no mistake, Klaus, I am here for Elena. Nobody should have to go through what I did alone. She deserves answers.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Klaus felt his anger rising as this small woman continued to glare at him. “I’ve never seen you before in my life, and it’s been a very long life.” He flashed around the table to pin her against it ignoring Kol’s growl. “Now you are going to tell me how the doppelganger managed to conceive a child with my brother.”

Klaus’ eyes widened when he felt his body forced backwards by some invisible force. Lexa raised one hand when he was a foot away and twisted her wrist effectively breaking his neck with an audible snap.

“I’m certain he deserved that,” Caroline knelt down to check on Klaus, “if I ask why will I end up with a broken neck?”

Caroline looked up to see Kol shaking with silent laughter.

“What happened in here?” Elijah asked from the stairs. “Who broke Niklaus’ neck?”

“That would be her,” Caroline motioned to Lexa.

Kol had reached out to catch her rising hand before she could break Elijah’s neck too.

“What he do?” Elena stepped down from the last stair to stand by Elijah.

“You know Nik,” Kol smirked, “he was just being his usual sadistic self.” He released Lexa’s hand when Elena stepped forward. “You can break Elijah’s neck later, darling.”

“Promise?” Lexa turned her head to stare at him with a raised eyebrow. She smiled when he nodded.

“Do I get a say in this?”

“No.” Lexa and Kol said together.

“Shall we adjourn to the sitting room?”

* * *

 

“So I have a few questions?” Elena settled into a chair. Elijah stood behind her and rested a hand on the back of the chair. She looked to Lexa who had taken a seat on one of the couches with Kol. “And since I don’t want to go over everything twice,” she nodded to where Caroline and Elijah had placed Klaus on the floor, “why don’t we start with how you two know each other?”

“Now that is a long story,” Lexa crossed her arms and leaned away from her and sighed, “it was 1702 – “

“How is that possible?” Elijah interrupted coming around to sit in the chair beside Elena. “That was over 300 years ago, and you’re not a vampire.”

“I’d like to hear the answer to that as well,” Kol leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees.

“If you don’t interrupt me I will tell you,” Lexa glared at the two conscious Originals. She smiled when they both shut up. “Now as I was saying: we met in 1702 a few months before you,” she glared at Elijah, “and him,” she pointed to Klaus, “came to my tavern and shoved a dagger in Kol’s chest.” She gave a dry chuckle when recognition flooded Elijah’s eyes. “I was 18 years old at the time and devastated.”

“I think I remember you,” a crease appeared in Elijah’s brow. “You were the woman on the stairs. You ran upstairs when I saw you.”

“Yes,” Lexa nodded.

“You haven’t aged a day,” he narrowed his eyes.

“I know,” she frowned, “it took me a few decades and an accusation of witchcraft before I realized that fact.” She turned to Elena, “luckily you can learn from my experiences.”

“What do you mean?” Elena leaned forward and clasped the arms of her chair.

“I mean you’ve stopped aging,” Lexa mimicked her motion, “just like I did.” She continued before Elena could interrupt again, “it took me the better part of a century wandering from coven to coven to figure it out. Eventually I came across a group in Greece who explained how it had happened.” She leaned back again and peered around the room to see Klaus starting to stir.

“Are you familiar with the concept of soulmates?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

“I was under the impression that they didn’t exist.” Klaus sat up and rubbed the back of his neck.

“They do,” Lexa glared at Klaus for interrupting. “When a bond between soulmates is sealed they share each other’s strengths.”

“What do you mean?” Elena rested a hand on her stomach as hunger started to settle in.

“Well,” Lexa sat back and motioned to herself, “in the case of a human-vampire bond, the human stops aging. I have been 18 for the last 313 years. I also heal quickly, which I’m sure you’ve noticed with Elena. And finally my senses are enhanced; I can smell things no human being should be able to smell.” Her gaze fell to Elena’s stomach. “The vampire gains fertility from their human soulmate. Unfortunately,” she paused to glare at Elijah with a quick glance at Klaus, “since Kol was daggered I don’t know what else you would benefit from. Theoretically, you should gain those things that you lost when you turned.”

“Such as?” Elijah leaned over to check on Elena who had settled a hand on her stomach.

“I should think the ability to walk in the sun, and maybe the ability to cross a threshold without an invitation.”

Every head in the room spun towards the door to find Rebekah. She had come in quietly with an armful of bags. She had stopped when she heard the conversation in the sitting room. Now she came in to turn her attention to Lexa.

“Didn’t we meet in the ‘20s?” She thought the blond looked familiar.

“Briefly,” Lexa nodded, “in a speakeasy. You disappeared a few days later.”

“Nik daggered me,” Rebekah shrugged her shoulders as if to say that this was a common occurrence, which in this family it was. She sat on the other side of Kol and looked around him to Lexa. “So she’s your soulmate, huh?” She waited for Kol’s nod. “And she’s pregnant?”

“No. I’m not.”

“I am.”

Rebekah turned her inquisitive gaze to Elena. She didn’t miss the way her oldest brothers eyes lingered on the hand Elena held over her stomach. Rebekah strained her ears to pick up the fluttering heartbeat in Elena’s womb.

“You always did have a weakness for her face, Elijah.” Rebekah chuckled without any real mirth. She had gotten over her differences with Elena a few years before.

“Now that we know how Elena came to be pregnant,” Klaus stalked to the drinks cart and poured a glass of bourbon, “what are we going to do about the witches?”

“Negotiate – “

“Not bloody likely,” Klaus interrupted. He downed the drink before flashing in front of Elena. His hand closed around her throat. “I’d sooner kill her now than negotiate with Sophie Deveraux.”

The second Klaus’ hand squeezed Elena’s throat there was a flurry of movement in the sitting room. Elijah sprang from his chair to pin Klaus to the far wall; the veins beneath his eyes in full view, and his fangs descended. Caroline and Kol took a protective stance in front of Elena, and Rebekah moved to check the brunette for injuries.

“Do not touch her.” Elijah growled in a harsh whisper.

“Did I mention that all of the soulmates I’ve encountered have been fiercely protective of each other?” Lexa drawled from her spot on the couch. “Will you allow me to finish now?”

“I will not negotiate with witches!” Klaus rasped through his crushed windpipe. He narrowed his eyes at Elijah. “And neither should you.”

“Yes you will,” Lexa stood from the couch to approach the brothers she had spent centuries loathing. “You will make Sophie and Davina think that you are going to give them whatever they want,” Lexa jabbed a finger into Klaus’ chest, “you two will make nice with those witches until I can unbind Elena from Sophie.”

“You can do that?” Klaus shoved at Elijah’s hand, but remained where he was when he let go.

“What does Davina have to do with this?” Elijah sped back to Elena. He tilted her chin up to check her throat as Rebekah had already done. He relaxed when he saw that her lovely neck was free of marks.

“The binding spell was Davina’s idea,” Lexa rolled her eyes as if this should have been obvious. “I can undo it but, without blood willingly given by both parties, I will have to wait for the full moon in three weeks’ time.”

“What am I supposed to do in the meantime?” Elena asked as her stomach rumbled.

“What would you typically be doing?” Kol flashed out of the room to return with an apple a few seconds later.

“I’d be going to classes,” Elena accepted the fruit with a raised eyebrow, “finishing school…” she stared at the apple as her stomach growled again. “Did you hear my stomach?” She blushed when Kol nodded. “Well, that’s m-mortifying,” she whispered.

“I’d recommend sticking to a normal schedule,” Lexa advised with a shake of her head. “Can you finish school here? There are a few universities nearby … you can transfer your credits.”

“I’d be starting three weeks late,” Elena chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully.

“We would be starting three weeks late,” Caroline corrected. She sat down on the arm of Elena’s chair, “do you really think I’d leave you here alone?”

“There’s actually a faculty strike,” Elijah watched Elena take a bite out of the apple; “the universities won’t open until the next week at the earliest. A little compulsion can cut through the red tape.”

“That would work,” Elena smiled.

“I’ll get a flight back tomorrow to pack up the dorm.”

“Why don’t you take Nik with you?” Kol grinned. “I’m certain Elena would like some distance from him right now, and he can help you pack.”

* * *

 

Kol watched as his brothers led their houseguests away to settle in. Rebekah remained in the sitting room with him and Lexa. She plopped down next to his soulmate on the couch forcing Kol to sit across from them in Elena’s vacated chair.

“So,” Rebekah grinned at Lexa, “how’d you two meet? I’m curious as I’ve never heard of you before,” she motioned between Lexa and her brother, “yet this seems to have happened centuries ago.”

“It was in Spain,” Lexa gave Rebekah a tight lipped smile, “1702. I was living in a tavern with my – my husband; he owned the establishment. Your brother took up lodgings with us.”

“You were married?”

“Widowed,” Kol grinned maniacally from his space across from them.

“He killed my husband,” Lexa deadpanned.

“Kol!” Rebekah stared at her brother with barely concealed shock. “You killed a man and bedded his wife?” Kol leaned away from his sisters ire.

“It was an arranged marriage,” Lexa decided to take pity on him, “and my husband was an abusive drunk.” Lexa frowned as she was lost in the memory. “Usually I would place herbs in his ale to send him to sleep, it kept him out of my bed, but one night I forgot. Rather than falling asleep in the bar he made his way to my chamber; Kol heard me scream and broke his neck.”

“Wow,” Rebekah looked at her brother in a new light. This was the first she had ever heard of Kol doing something to protect someone else.

“She did tell you soulmates were fiercely protective of each other.” Kol rose to stand before them on the couch. “Sister why don’t you go help Elena unpack her bag? Or show Caroline where we keep the blood?”

“If you want to be alone with your other half all you have to do is ask,” Rebekah stood up and walked out of the room. She was happy for her brothers, but she couldn’t help the feeling of jealousy in her chest.

“I want to be alone with my ‘other half’.” Kol called after her. He sat down beside Lexa on the couch. “Are you alright? I know those are not exactly fond memories for you.”

“I’ll be fine.” She smiled sadly.

“I thought you were dead,” Kol leaned in and wrapped one of her curls around his finger. He rubbed the soft hair between his fingers he couldn’t quite believe that she was real. “I dreamt of you so often,” the smell of lavender reached his nose; “I thought I was going mad.”

“You weren’t,” Lexa gently removed his hand from her hair to intertwine their fingers. “I dreamt of you to.”

“What do we do now?” Kol’s gaze flickered between her dark green eyes and her red lips.

“Nothing,” Lexa leaned in further so their faces were a few inches apart. She smiled when she took in the scent that was wholly Kol. Her pulse quickened at the proximity between them. “We do nothing … yet. Until Elena is unbound from Sophie I need to keep my place with the witches.” She pulled away reluctantly and stood to exit the room. “That’s going to be very difficult to do if I’m seen around town with an Original.”

Kol stood and followed her into the courtyard. She spun to face him when he approached.

“Is there anything I can say to make you stay?” Kol gazed down at her. “I’m afraid if you walk through that door I’ll never see you again.”

“You’ll see me,” Lexa grinned, “I promise.”

“Can I at least kiss you goodbye?”

“I’m afraid if you do I won’t be able to walk out that door.” Lexa laughed and turned to walk away.

The hand that closed around her wrist was not at all unwelcome. She just caught sight of the mischievous twinkle in Kol’s eyes before his lips descended on hers and her eyes fluttered shut. Her pulse quickened as his tongue swept along her bottom lip; she forgot how to breathe when his tongue explored every crevice of her mouth. She threaded her fingers in his short hair and moaned when his hands slipped beneath her blouse to caress the skin of her lower back. She felt her resolve weakening when she heard someone clear their throat.

* * *

 

Elijah had shown her to a bedroom next to his. Elena thought it was sweet that he didn’t assume because they were soulmates they would stay in the same room, but at the same time she wanted him in there with her. She’d been feeling the urge to jump him since he’d pinned Klaus to the wall.

Elena was just placing her toiletries in the bathroom when she heard a knock on the bedroom door. She immediately thought Elijah had returned for something. She imagined him opening the door and taking her against the door. Her lustful thoughts dissipated when she opened the door to find Klaus on the other side. She clutched the doorframe tightly when she saw him; she could almost feel his fingers on her throat again.

“What do you want?” Klaus tried to step closer but her frightened eyes stopped him. Shame hunched his shoulders forward when she flinched away.

“I wanted to apologize, love.” He crossed his arms over his chest and met her eyes. “Which is more than any of my siblings have ever gotten. I never meant to hurt you Elena. I’ve actually come to think of you as a friend of sorts over the past five years.” He extended his hand: “I’m sorry, Elena.”

“Apology accepted,” Elena shook his hand, “but if you ever threaten me, or this child, again I will find a way to put you down.”

“Understood,” Klaus chuckled at her spirit.

“Now, please don’t take this the wrong way,” Elena withdrew her hand, “but I really don’t want to see you for a while.”

“Don’t worry, love,” Klaus smirked at her, “I’ll leave with Caroline in the morning to pack up your dorm room. We’ll be gone at least a day.”

Klaus descended the stairs after leaving Elena to find Kol saying goodbye to Lexa. He watched a smile grace her features; the first genuine smile he had seen on her face. He watched her try to leave when Kol grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Klaus watched for a moment. He cleared his throat when the couples kiss threatened to turn into something more in his courtyard. Lexa sighed when Kol turned away to glare at his brother.

“I should go,” Lexa adjusted her blouse and tucked her curls behind her ears. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Leaving so soon, sweetheart?” Klaus grinned as she turned away from him. “I figured after a 300 year separation you two would be all over each other.”

“Really, Nik?”

Kol groaned as he watched Lexa leave; his eyes drawn to the sway of her hips.

“Sorry brother,” Klaus grinned and slapped Kol’s shoulder, “I didn’t mean to get in your way. Seriously though, where is she going? I figured she’d be staying.”

“She’s going to keep her position with the witches until Elena is unbound.”

“So your separation continues for a further three weeks?”

“Yes,” Kol shrugged off his brother’s hand and flashed up the stairs. He stopped to call over his shoulder. “She also doesn’t seem to like you or Elijah. I would assume for daggering and kidnapping me.”

“Ancient history,” Klaus waved him off.

“You might try an apology,” Caroline suggested exiting the kitchen with Rebekah and a blood bag.

“She is his soulmate, Nik,” Rebekah started towards her bedroom, “she’s going to be involved with this family for a very long time.”

“While we’re on that topic,” Caroline sipped her blood, “you should apologize to Elena as well.”

“I already did.”

Caroline raised one eyebrow as she passed him and headed up the stairs. _Maybe he isn’t so bad._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got much bigger than I thought it would. I added in the backstory for Lexa and Kol.  
> Lexa claimed that soulmates were protective of each other; she was speaking from experience.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO  
> Originally this chapter was going to feature all three of the couples, but the ELEJAH part wound up being so long that I had to split it in several pieces.  
> I also split the ELEJAH in two chapters. Fair warning the next chapter will feature smut. If you don't like it skip it.

It was late when Elena woke up on Sunday; Klaus and Caroline had left for the airport hours before. When her feet hit the floor she was surprised by her lack of nausea. For the first time in three days she felt truly hungry.

She slipped on a pair of slippers and walked into the bathroom. When she came back out a few minutes later she snagged a sweater and her phone before she hastened to the kitchen in search of food. Elena was just entering the kitchen, and pulling her short hair into a messy bun, when she froze. Her fingers were making the final twist of the hairband when she saw Elijah reading the paper.

He was dressed more casually than she had ever seen him in grey slacks and a blue button down; sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Elena found her eyes drawn to the bare skin of his forearms.

She quickly finished twisting her hair up and entered the room. She made a beeline for the counter to make some toast.

“Good morning.”

Elena opened the fridge to pull out the butter. As her fingers closed around the carton of orange juice she caught sight of the blood bags on the bottom shelf. She felt her stomach growl with hunger before it started turning somersaults.

“It’s nearly noon,” Elijah had been tracking her heartbeat since she had opened her door. It had skipped a beat when she paused by the kitchen door. “Elena?” He glanced up to see her turning slowly from the fridge; her normally olive complexion had grown pale.

“Hmm?” Elena slowly buttered her toast willing the storm in her stomach to settle.

“Are you alright?” Elijah dropped the paper on the table and approached her. His thick brows were drawn together over his intense dark eyes. “You look a little pale.”

“Just a little nauseous,” she nibbled on the toast and the need to be sick slowly faded, “it’s already passing.”

“Are you sure?” Elijah placed one hand on her forehead to feel for a temperature; he was relieved to find the skin cool.

“Yes I’m sure,” Elena giggled at the overly concerned look in his eyes, “it’s just morning sickness,” she gently removed his hand from her brow, “it kind of comes with the territory.”

“Are you mocking me, lovely Elena?”

“Do you really think I’d be foolish enough to mock one of the oldest people on the planet?” Elena smirked and tried to ignore the butterflies that erupted in her belly when he called her ‘lovely’. She picked up her toast and juice and walked around him making sure to brush his sleeve on her way to the table.

“You have been full of surprises the past few days.” Elijah followed her movement with his eyes before returning to his chair across from her.

“Only one,” Elena leaned across the table and sipped her juice.

“You still haven’t answered the question.” He raised one eyebrow and mimicked her motion leaning across the table. He inhaled the scent of his shampoo in her hair.

“What if I am?” Elena finished her toast before mirroring his expression. Her hands rested on the tabletop.

“You would be playing a very dangerous game, Elena.” His hands fell to rest on the table close to hers. “Are you sure you want to go down that road?”

“Well that depends,” her fingers inched closer as she met his piercing gaze with a smirk, “on what’s at the end.”

Elena blinked when he disappeared from his seat. A second later her chair was turned around. Elijah had his hands on either side of her head. He smirked dangerously down at her; Elena found herself wishing his hands would drop to her shoulders.

“Nothing good,” his breath fanned against her chin making Elena dizzy.

She felt her breath hitch as he slowly closed the distance between them. He smirk grew when he watched her sparkling eyes dart to his lips; his own gaze was drawn to her bottom lip as it was drawn between her teeth. He paused an inch from her mouth. Their breath mingled in the air between them.

“Not in the kitchen,” Rebekah flashed into the room to grab a blood bag from the fridge, “we eat at that table.”

“Good afternoon, Rebekah.”

Elena repressed a sigh when Elijah pulled back. She wished more than anything that Rebekah had waited another minute or two before entering the kitchen. Elena stood up and took her dishes to the sink to rinse and place in the dishwasher. Elena drew herself up to her full height when she felt Rebekah staring at her.

“Do you know when you are due?” Rebekah poured her blood into a mug. Elena was grateful when she could no longer see it.

“I’m not sure,” Elena took a few shallow breaths to steady her heartrate. “They usually tell you around the seven week scan, but I’d say sometime in late August or early September.”

“We’ll have to find you a doctor,” Rebekah sipped her blood after pulling it from the microwave, “someone we can compel if necessary.” She dropped into a chair with a furrowed brow. “What do you mean by a scan?”

“An ultrasound,” Elena shrugged but stopped when she spotted the confused looks on the sibling’s faces. “Oh right,” she chuckled, “sometime I forget you were born in another century.”

“Millennium, but go on.”

“An ultrasound machine,” Elena reached for her phone, “takes images of the inside of your body.” She opened her phone and pulled up the video. “It can take videos to; they’re mostly used during pregnancy.” She turned the screen towards them.

“What exactly are we looking at?” Rebekah peered at the black and white video.

“I’ve seen this before,” Elijah narrowed his eyes at the mobile, “only it wasn’t moving.”

“I don’t know how you could have,” Elena looked up at him, “I just got that the day before yesterday. How could you have already seen a scan of the baby?”

“Davina drew it with charcoal.” He flashed out of the room and was back in a moment with the drawing.

“Davina?” Elena frowned at the paper as Rebekah claimed the phone. “Davina… the witch who kidnapped me, and bound me to Sophie Devereux?”

“One and the same,” Rebekah looked up from the video. “Is this really the baby? It’s so small.”

“Yeah, that’s the baby,” Elena grinned when Elijah reclaimed the phone, “about the size of a poppy seed.” She pulled the ends of her sweater together over her stomach. “I’m going to get dressed,” she stepped closer to Elijah and waited, “am I going to get my phone back?”

He reluctantly returned the phone.

“Don’t look so morose,” Elena teased before leaving the siblings in the kitchen, “you can still hear the baby’s heartbeat.”

“How are you doing?” Rebekah asked when Elena reached the stairs. “You gained a soulmate and a child all in one day.”

“I’m doing well Rebekah,” Elijah listened to the steady fluttering coming from Elena. It grew fainter the further away she got.

“Really? You are not about to have a panic attack or anything?” She finished her blood and rinsed the mug.

“I am not going to panic,” Elijah frowned at his sister.

“I know I’d be excited,” Rebekah smiled wistfully.

“I am.”

“Have you told her?”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TO or TVD  
> Final SMUT warning. It starts about 1000 words in.

Elena stood in front of the closet in a pair of slightly too tight skinny jeans and her bra. Her arms were elevated over her head. She had pulled on a cable knit sweater before deciding it was too warm. When she tried to take it off the fabric had gotten caught in the clasp of her locket. She stood in front of the closet contemplating her options when the knock sounded on the door. Knowing it was one of two people who would be able to sort out her current predicament she called out.

“Come in.”

“Elena,” Elijah pushed the door open. “I was hoping we could talk.” He closed the door behind him and leaned against the dresser inside the room. His eyes roamed over her body before settling on her chest where her breasts threatened to spill from the blue lace.

“And will you be talking to me or my chest?” Elena teased when she caught him staring. “Can you help? My sweaters stuck.”

“I was told yesterday that most men stare at a woman’s chest when they find them half naked,” Elijah smirked and moved to untangle her locket.

With the fabric free Elena pulled the material over her head. She placed it back on a hanger before reaching for a tank top. Elijah waited for her to pull on the form fitting top before turning to face him with a murmured ‘thanks’.

“What did you want to talk about?” She sat on the side of the bed and patted the space beside her.

“You,” he joined her on the bed, “me, and the baby.” Elijah took a deep breath inhaling the scent of her beneath the borrowed toiletries. “I just have one question first. Why did you feel the need to drive fourteen hours overnight in formal wear?”

“You’re the first person to ask me that,” Elena blinked slowly. She frowned when she recalled the events leading to her midnight road-trip. “Caroline sort of rushed me out of there when I told her what Bonnie said.”

“What exactly did Miss Bennet have to say?” Elijah frowned in concern when her face grew pale and her eyes misty. “Elena?”

“She…” Elena drew in a shaky breath, “she said that I had to-to kill the b-baby.” She leaned into him when he wrapped an arm around her trembling frame.

Elijah fought the urge to hunt down the Bennet witch by rubbing gentle circles along her arm. Elena mumbled against his chest: “She said the baby would destroy the balance of nature.”

“So you ran?” Elijah surmised. He thought something sounded a little strange about the story, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. “Was anyone else aware before you left school?”

“No,” Elena huffed a sigh, “only Caroline and Bonnie knew. I wasn’t going to let anyone hurt the baby,” she stroked the mostly flat expanse of her belly, “and I guess Care was thinking the same thing. I was still reeling in shock when she packed a couple of bags.”

“You didn’t think about ending the pregnancy?” As much as he dreaded the answer he knew he had to ask; he would never assume to know her mind completely. He wouldn’t have blamed her if the thought had occurred to her; though it would have broken his heart. He felt relief flood his chest when she shook her head.

“I didn’t believe it at first, and when I did I was definitely in shock. I think I’m still kind of in shock,” she met his dark eyes, “but that thought never crossed my mind. Except for a brief period five years ago I always wanted kids.”

“I’m assuming that decision had something to do with my brother.”

“Well he did decide he was going to use me as a human blood bag,” Elena laughed drily, “and I didn’t want to condemn one of my descendants to my fate,” she tucked a strand of hair back into the elastic, “but, eventually Klaus and I got over out differences.”

“He tried to kill you yesterday.” Elijah growled when he remembered Niklaus’ hand around her throat.

“He apologized for that,” Elena placed her hand on his knee effectively calming his anger. “You haven’t told me how you feel about all of this.” She pulled away so his arm slipped from her shoulders and motioned to her abdomen, “what are you thinking?”

“I never thought I’d get to experience this, Elena,” he caught a tear that spilled from her eye. He hooked a finger under her chin and turned her to face him. “I gave up on the idea of wanting children after my mother turned us into vampires,” his hand dropped to her abdomen, “I always wanted children before I turned.” He smiled and gently caressed the bump and murmured: “I never thought I’d get to see the woman I love carry my child. I won’t let anyone hurt you or our baby.”

Elena felt the blood drain from her face when he said ‘love’. Was he saying he loved her? It was very soon to be saying that. Wasn’t it? She knew they were soulmates, and she thought that maybe, just maybe she loved him; she definitely had feelings for him. Elijah saved her from having to respond.

“I want this child, Elena,” he met her dark eyes, “and, in case it isn’t clear, I want you too.”

“Well you’ve got me,” Elena decided she could sort out her feelings later; it wasn’t like she didn’t have time. She threaded his fingers through her own and smirked, suddenly feeling playful, “what are you going to do with me?” She shivered when his eyes darkened.

“I can think of a few things,” Elijah’s free hand came up to grasp the back of her neck and pull her closer, he turned at the last second so his breath tickled her ear, “most of them would keep you confined to this room.”

Elena’s eyes drifted shut when he trialed his lips across her jaw; heat pooled in her belly and a line of fire was left in the wake of his mouth. Her hands cupped his face as he drew closer to her mouth.

“Is that a promise?” Elena sighed when he grinned against her lips.

Elijah’s lips moved firmly against hers as if he meant to devour her; she would have happily let him. She gasped when his tongue swiped against her lower lip to plead entrance. Elena eagerly invited him in by sucking his tongue into her mouth.

She was vaguely aware of her top sliding up her torso. Elijah broke the kiss to pull the material from her body. He maneuvered her so that her back gently hit the mattress. He brushed his lips against hers slowly before tugging her bottom lip between his teeth. He placed a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth before pulling back to look at her.

He could feel his arousal straining against his slacks. Her heavily lidded eyes, heaving chest and bruised lips were not helping. He groaned when her legs shifted and he could smell her own arousal.

“You smell exquisite Elena,” he whispered against her lips, “I could easily get drunk on that smell.”

“Actions speak louder than words,” Elena purred as nuzzled the skin of her throat. She whimpered when she felt him pull away from her. She propped herself up on her elbows to watch him.

He slowly popped the button of her jeans before he was tugged closer. His knee fell in the space between her thighs; his hands framed the space surrounding her head. Her lips crashed against his in a bruising kiss.

Elena fell back against the mattress and her hands came up to run through his hair before falling to the collar of his shirt. She tried to unbutton it carefully but when he started nibbling on her ear she lost all of her patience and tore the fabric. She heard a few buttons hit the floor when she pushed the sleeves down his arms.

Elena arched her back when Elijah’s hand snaked around to unhook her bra. He tossed the blue lace over his shoulder and started licking and nipping a trail down her neck. He tugged her right nipple into his mouth, his hand came up to fondle her other breast rolling and gently pinching the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Elena moaned when he switched breasts.

“Elijah,” her fingers tangled in his short hair and tugged his head back to her lips. She lifted her hips to grind her aching centre against him causing him to moan into her mouth. “I need you.”

“Whatever you need, lovely Elena,” he breathed against her lips before making his way down her body with wet kisses.

Elijah tugged the zipper of her jeans with his teeth. He sank to his knees on the floor and slid the fabric of her jeans down her legs. He leaned forward to kiss her stomach and dip his tongue into her naval causing her eyes to drift shut. She didn’t realize he had removed her underwear until his tongue circled her clit.

“Yes,” Elena gasped as he lapped at her like a man dying of thirst. Her hips bucked when he slipped a finger inside to pump slowly in and out.

“More, Elijah,” she sobbed as the pleasure coiled tightly in her belly, “please.” He doubled his efforts when she carded her fingers through his hair. The coil snapped when he added a third finger and stroked her g-spot. She came apart with a cry.

When her senses returned she propped herself up on her elbows to stare at him between her thighs.

“As much as I enjoy the sight of you down there,” she purred pulling him up, “I believe you said you had a few things you wanted to do.” She sat up on the edge of the bed when he stood up. She hooked her fingers into his belt loops before unhooking his belt. “You are wearing to many clothes,” she popped the button and pulled down his zipper and slipped her hand inside to gently grasp his erection, “take them off.”

She watched him toe off his shoes and socks before stepping out of his slacks. Before he could remove his boxers Elena stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him hungrily.

She spun them so that Elijah fell against the mattress his head on the pillows. Elena raked her nails down his chest. She followed the tracks with her lips pausing to bite down on his collarbone and ribs sucking the skin between her teeth. She soothed the quickly fading marks with her tongue before working her way further down. She stopped at the waistband of his shorts and looked up to meet his dark eyes. Without breaking eye contact she hooked her fingers in the band and pulled downwards. Her tongue peeked out to wet her lips when his erection sprang free.

When the wet heat of Elena’s mouth enveloped his cock Elijah’s head fell back against the pillow. His eyes rolled back in his head when she hollowed her cheeks and sucked. Opening his eyes he watched her lick the pre-cum that leaked from his cock. He groaned when she moved her mouth slowly up and down his length taking him deeper.

“Fuck,” he growled when her sultry eyes met his and she took his full length down her throat.

“Elena,” his voice came out in a strangled whisper when she swallowed around him the muscles of her throat squeezing him tightly, “if you don’t stop – fuck – I won’t l-last long.”

Elena’s eyes glittered when she realized she had caused Elijah’s composure to slip. Rather than pull back she started bobbing her head up and down quickly. He growled and threaded his fingers through her hair. He guided her head faster.

“Elena,” he called her name as he exploded in her mouth. She swallowed it down, but a small bit of semen leaked from the corner of her mouth. He felt his cock twitch back to life twitch back to life when she used her thumb to scoop up the cum on her face before sucking the digit into her mouth.

“You are amazing,” Elena squealed when he flipped them to hover between her legs, “and I am nowhere near done with you yet.”

“Good,” Elena raised one eyebrow when she felt his hard length against her thigh, “and you’re not so bad yourself.”

He kissed the smirk from her lips. She moaned when he sank inside her and set a slow and steady pace. Elena kissed his jaw as she felt a second orgasm approaching; a flush crept across her upper body. She moaned loudly when he pulled her nipple into his mouth and rolled the hardened nub with his tongue. Elena came apart with a cry when his hand reached down to rub her clit.

When her vision cleared again she thought he looked to smug. Elena hooked a leg over his hips and flipped them. His hands grasped her hips guiding her up and down.

He still looked smug.

Elena took his hands from her hips and pinned them above his head. The movement forced her to slam her hips down at a new angle that stimulated her clit. She maneuvered her hips in a figure eight motion that made Elijah’s eyes roll back in his head. He groaned and allowed her to slowly torture him before flipping them over again when her pace started to slow.

He raised one of her legs up to rest over his shoulder and slammed into her at a brutal pace. The new angle meant that every stroke of his cock hit her g-spot. Elena’s hands tightly gripped the sheets when he used his thumb to flick over her clit.

“Elijahhhhh,” Elena drew his name out with a cry. Stars exploded behind her eyelids as a white hot fire left her limbs blissfully heavy. She tightened her muscles around him. The fluttering of her walls brought Elijah over the edge with her a moment later. He pumped in and out of her slowly as his cock pulsed deep inside of her. His vision momentarily went black. When it returned he felt as if time had slowed down. He rolled to lie beside her and watched as her chest rose and fell rapidly.

“That was amazing,” Elena gasped, “mind-blowing.” Elijah grinned and kissed her cheek. Elena slapped his hand away when it started making its way down her body. “None of that now,” she smirked, “I need some time to recover.”

“Very well, Elena,” Elijah brushed his lips against hers, “but I will be having my wicked way with you again later.”

“I look forward to it.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.   
> KLAROLINE moment ahead, plus the return of Damon

“I don’t think we thought this all the way through,” Klaus called after Caroline. She had just unlocked the door to the dorm and stepped inside without a backwards glance. Klaus found himself caught at her threshold.

“What?” Caroline spun around to find him standing with one hand pressed up against an invisible barrier. “I hadn’t thought about that,” Caroline smiled slyly as she came closer, “I’m almost tempted to leave you there.” She slowly came forward before stopping; her feet pressed against the inside of the barrier. “How are we going to get you inside?”

“I can compel someone in the office to remove Elena’s name from the registry,” Klaus suggested.

“It’s Sunday,” Caroline shook her head, “the offices are closed. That’s why we have to come back tomorrow; to push the transfers through.”

“How could I forget?” Klaus shook his head with a small smile.

“Do you think an invitation over the phone would work?” Caroline had already started dialing Elena’s number.

“I’m not sure,” Klaus hummed, “never thought to try. It’s worth a shot.” He leaned against the wall outside the door and waited.

“No answer,” Caroline checked the time; it was a little after two. “I’ll try again; she might have overslept.”

“She has been through a lot the last few days,” he smiled when he heard the second call connect, “apparently she’s awake now.”

“Hello?” Elena breathed. Caroline thought she heard suppressed amusement in her friend’s voice.

“Hey ‘lena.”

“Caroline?” There was definitely laughter in her voice, undercut with a hint of annoyance. “What do you need? I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

Caroline distinctly heard a breathy sigh as Elena pushed something away. “K-Klaus can’t get in the dorm,” she gulped, “I need you to invite him in.”

“W-will,” Elena stuttered, “that even work o-over the phone?”

“Can’t hurt to try love,” Klaus leaned as close as the barrier would allow. He thought he heard Elijah snicker on the other end of the call.

“Come in Klaus.”

Caroline watched with bated breath as he raised his right foot and stepped over the threshold with ease.

“Did it work?” Elena annoyed voice had grown breathless.

“Yes.”

“Then I’m hanging up.”

Caroline stared at the phone for a moment before eyeing Klaus. “Did you hear what I heard?”

“Yes,” Klaus cleared his throat and pulled some boxes into the room, “and I’d rather not talk about my brother and his soulmate in a compromising position.”

“Fair enough,” Caroline shuddered at the mental image, “let’s just start packing.” She motioned for Klaus to start on the books, cds, and pictures on the shelves while she headed for Elena’s closet.

They worked in silence for a while. Klaus filled boxes with books and Caroline folded clothes. She had just finished putting the last of the clothes from the dresser in a box and labeled it when she glanced across the room at Klaus. He had finished the shelves and was now staring at an old picture of Caroline, Bonnie and Elena.

“What was this for?” Klaus asked when he saw her staring. Caroline peered at the picture. It was of them as kids; they had dressed up as Charlies Angels for Halloween. Caroline could remember her mom snapping the picture of the three of them in the signature pose.

“Halloween,” Caroline was grateful that as a vampire she didn’t blush easily. She took the picture and hid it in the box of books.

“And this?” He picked up something off of Caroline’s bed.

“Klaus,” Caroline reached for the stuffed bear. This time she could feel the blush on her cheeks. “That is Snuggles; now give him back.” She stretched up on her toes trying to reclaim her childhood friend, “come on Klaus.”

“You brought your bear to college?” Klaus grinned down. He smirked when her body pressed against him in an attempt to take the bear. “That’s adorable, love.”

“Shut up,” Caroline fought a smile when the animal was relinquished. She carefully placed him in a new box.

“Did Elena bring her childhood toys as well?”

“Yes,” Caroline shrugged before picking up the small pig from Elena’s bed and placed him in the box with Snuggles, “oinkers, and you will not tease her about it.”

“As you wish, love.”

Caroline shook her head in amusement before starting towards her own closet. She had pulled out a sweater when a knock drew her eyes to the door.

“Can you get that?” Caroline called from the closet. She froze mid-fold when she heard Klaus address the person on the other side.

“Good afternoon, Damon.” The voice that had been so appealing a moment before had grown gruff with vaguely concealed distaste.

“What are you doing here?” Damon tried to step over the threshold, but the barrier stopped him.

“That’s really none of your business,” Caroline snapped coming up to stand behind Klaus, “the real question is what you’re doing here?”

“I came to check on Elena,” Damon said angrily. “I wanted to make sure she was okay after losing the baby yesterday.” He tried to peer around Klaus into the room, “where is she?”

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him; an image was starting to take shape in her mind. Only three people had known about the baby. Elena would have never told Damon before telling Elijah. Caroline, despite her tendency to do so, had not blabbed. That left Bonnie; Bonne who had congratulated Elena one minute, and tried to kill her child the next.

“Elena left school,” Caroline decided to stick to the truth as much as possible, “she was so upset about the baby that she left. I haven’t seen her since yesterday.” It was time to see how much Damon knew, “how did you find out about the baby?”

“A little witch told me,” Damon sneered, “Is Elena coming back?”

“I don’t think so,” Caroline shook her head and placed one hand on the door knob. She gave Damon a pointed look when he didn’t move.

“You can go now, Damon.” Klaus spoke in a patronizing tone. He placed a hand on the small of Caroline’s back when he saw the tension in her shoulders.

“You know,” Damon’s eyes followed Klaus’ movement, “I’m surprised at you, Blondie. Didn’t your mother ever tell you: see no evil, hear no evil,” his eyes flicked between them both, “date no evil.”

Rather than correct Damon or allow Caroline to do so Klaus thought he’d have some fun. His hand slid from the small of her back to her hip drawing her into his side.

“Klaus,” Caroline warned ignoring the warm feeling that flooded her chest that was caused by the proximity. The woodsy scent of his cologne made her feel a little dizzy.

“It’s none of your business who Caroline chooses to spend her time with,” Klaus smirked. He turned to gaze into her glittering eyes. He was tickled to see the faint flush in her cheeks.

“You are together, then?” Damon stepped back to stare at them. “He’s the big, bad hybrid Caroline; the happy homicidal maniac. He tried to use your Elena as a human blood bag. He ordered Tyler to bite you – on your birthday. How can you possibly be with him? Why is he here?”

“He came to visit me, Elena invited him in a while ago,” Caroline knew she couldn’t explain the true reason for Klaus’ visit, and it was kind of fun seeing Damon riled up, so she decided to lie. “We are together.”

“You’re not this stupid, Caroline.”

Rather than dignify him with a response. Instead, she cupped Klaus’ face between her hands and planted her lips on his in a bruising kiss. She felt fire settle under her skin where his hands splayed against her lower back. When his tongue slipped along her lip she forgot for a moment that she was meant to hate him, she forgot that they were not alone. The sound of a throat being cleared pulled them apart.

“I’m still here.”

“Maybe you should do something about that,” Klaus growled before slamming the door in his face. He the lifted Caroline by her hips and pressed her against the door with a soft thud. Caroline wrapped her legs around his waist and raised her brows when he stroked the exposed skin of her hips. Klaus leaned forward so that his breath tickled her ear and whispered.

“Still there?”

Caroline struggled to hear anything beyond the sound of her own thundering heart; it became much harder when Klaus started sucking on the skin of her neck.

“Yes,” Caroline moaned as his teeth gently scraped her collarbone.

She distantly heard Damon huff and storm off. When she felt sure he was gone she threaded her fingers through Klaus’ hair and tugged.

He started to pull away when Caroline pulled his lips back to hers. His mouth brushed softly against hers before he pulled back to whisper.

“He’s gone love,” his playful blue eyes stared into her sparkling green ones. He smirked at her, “shall we finish packing?”

“In a few minutes,” Caroline closed the distance to kiss him again. “Shut up,” she mumbled when she felt him smirk against her lips.

Klaus grinned before running his tongue along her lip again. This time she allowed him to slip his tongue inside her mouth. When Klaus massaged her tongue she reached around to gather the hem of his Henley in her hands. She broke the kiss to tug the material over his head.

Klaus didn’t allow the space between them to remain empty. He surged forward to bite down on her collarbone with blunt teeth. Caroline’s head fell back against the door with a hollow sound when his hips rolled against hers. He pulled her shirt up and over her head. Klaus groaned when her nails raked against his back.

“Huh,” Caroline whimpered when his hips thrust upwards again. He tweaked her nipples through her bra causing Caroline to groan loudly as warmth pooled in her belly.

“Bloody ‘ell,” Klaus groaned when his phone started vibrating in his pocket. He growled when Caroline twisted her hips trying to get closer to the phone now going off against her inner thigh. “Caroline,” he stilled her hips so he could pull out the infernal device, “its Kol.”

“Better answer,” Caroline caught the phone before he could toss it away, “it could be an emergency?” He sighed before answering.

“Someone had better be dead, or dying,” Klaus muttered darkly.

“Hello to you to brother,” he could hear Kol smirking, “I just wanted to see how the packing was going. Are you and Miss Forbes coming back soon?”

“We’ll be leaving tomorrow,” Klaus hung up the phone and moved back towards Caroline’s body with the intention of trailing kisses across her flushed chest. “Where were we?”

“Packing,” Caroline laughed when he pouted.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some SMUT at the start of this chapter.

She and Elijah had spent the better part of the afternoon in bed before her rumbling stomach betrayed her hunger. Elena had stolen Elijah’s shirt and allowed him to lead her back to the kitchen for a late lunch. Now Elena rinsed her dishes in the sink before loading them in the dishwasher. When she closed the door of the dishwasher and stood up Elena felt arms wrap around her waist.

“Hi,” Elena sighed.

“Hi,” Elijah listened to the uptick in her heart when his hand slipped beneath his shirt to stroke the skin of her abdomen. “Did you forget something upstairs Elena?” His fingers drifted lower to dip between her folds and stroke her clit.

“Did I?” She moaned.

Elena raised one hand to cup his cheek. Her hips rocked back against Elijah; she grinned when the movement caused a strangled noise to rise in his throat.

Elena groaned when she heard her phone started to vibrate against the counter top. She opened her eyes to peer at the screen.

“Caroline has terrible timing,” Elena sighed while the phone continued to vibrate. She gasped when Elijah spun her around and lifted her hips to set her on the counter. “Is this your way of distracting me from the phone?”

“Well you know what they say,” Elijah breathed against her lips, “out of sight out of mind.” His lips caught hers in a lazy kiss that promised much more.

Elena broke away when the phone started vibrating again.

“She’ll just keep calling until I answer,” she reached for the phone, and laughed when Elijah’s fingers ghosted under her knees. “Hello?” She tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice. “Caroline? What do you need?” Elijah started trailing silent kisses from her collarbone to her ear. “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

Elena sighed and planted her hand on Elijah’s shoulder to push him away. She listened to Caroline’s hurried explanation.

“W-will,” Elena stuttered when Elijah leaned forward again to nibble on her ear, “that even work o-over the phone?”

Elijah snickered at the glare on her face. He heard Klaus speak loudly enough for her to hear.

“Come in Klaus.” Elena felt heat pooling in her abdomen when Elijah started popping the buttons of his shirt. “Did it work?” Elena breathed quickly down the line. “Then I’m hanging up.” She quickly dropped the phone on the counter before surging forward to meet his lips in a furious kiss. “You are incorrigible,” her hand fell to stroke him through his trousers, “and insatiable.”

“I don’t hear you complaining,” he growled when she popped the button of his pants and pushed them to fall around his ankles. “You couldn’t wait to get up-upstairs?” He bit back a moan as she stroked him slowly.

“Nope,” she popped the ‘p’ on the end of the word and stroked him a little faster.

“Well then,” Elijah quickly took her hands and pinned them to her sides, “who am I to keep a lady waiting?” He grasped her hips and pulled her to the edge of the counter. Her arms wrapped tightly around him; her nails dug into his back when he sank inside of her.

She pressed her forehead against his as he slowly rocked in and out of her. Elena wrapped her legs around his back to pull him in deeper. Elijah’s lips brushed against hers before dragging across her cheek to nibble on her ear and drag a trail down to her breast. He tugged her nipple between his teeth causing Elena to arch her back.

“Oh,” she moaned. Elena carded her fingers through his hair when one of his hands came up to fondle her other breast. His free hand snaked between their bodies to rub slow circles around her clit. The slow rolling of his hips combined with the gentle movements of his thumb was slowly driving her crazy. “Elijah,” she whimpered, “faster, please.” She felt that familiar spring coiling inside of her when he started thrusting inside of her faster. “Oh, fuck,” her head rolled back as the fire started to spread from her abdomen in slow tendrils, “fuck yes.” Her release came quickly and poured over her in waves of white hot fire.

“Fuck,” Elijah thrust inside of her faster when he felt his own release approaching. He renewed his efforts on her clit attempting to bring her to a second orgasm. “You feel amazing.”

“Yes,” she moaned catching his dark eyes, “just like that.” She came apart with a cry of his name, and Elijah tumbled behind a moment later.

His vision was overtaken by a white light. A sharp cry pierced through the white noise that had settled over them.

“Bloody ‘ell,” Kol raised his hands to shield his eyes, “we eat in here.”

“Oh my -,” Elena quickly grabbed the edges of Elijah’s shirt and tugged them together over her chest.

“Kol!”

* * *

Kol sat at the bar drinking a whiskey; his third whiskey to be precise. He was drinking until he was able to forget the sounds and sights he had encountered at the compound. Kol drained the third glass before motioning to Cami for a fourth.

He had left the compound early in the day; shortly after Nik and Caroline. He had then spent several hours going through a collection of grimoires he kept stored in the cemetery. When he had finally returned home it had been to the sound of his brother and Elena doing unspeakable things in the kitchen. He had immediately fled the kitchen for the sanctuary of Rousseau’s.

He was just taking a sip of his forth drink when the scent of lavender reached his nose. Kol turned his head to the left and caught a glimpse of blond curls disappearing into the kitchen. He smiled slightly and leaned against the counter to listen for the silvery voice that had haunted his dreams.

“Whatever happened to diplomacy?”

“You disapprove?” Kol recognized the low voice of Sophie Deveraux. “Our methods are achieving results.”

“At what cost, Sophie?” He could almost see the furrow in Lexa’s brow.

“I believe my actions are justified,” Kol heard a knife hit the counter. “The vampires are overrunning this city. I will do whatever it takes to bring my people back to power.” Dishes clanged as a server rushed in and out of the room.

“Including threatening the life of an unborn child?”

“Nothing will happen to the child.”

“There is a chance something will, as long as you are bound to Elena.”

“It won’t; not until after it’s born.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lexa’s voice had grown taut. Kol found himself leaning as far across the bar as possible.

“That only concerns the community,” there was a brief pause, “not you.”

“Last I checked,” Lexa’s voice returned after a beat, “I was a witch living in New Orleans.”

“With no ties to our community,” the voice was tight with concealed emotion, “you are rootless Lexa. When it comes to political decisions, it has been decided that, you are to be left out.”

“So what,” Kol could hear the anger under her voice, “I’m good enough to channel, but I can’t be a part of the coven.”

“You came to town three years ago to weasel your way in. We know virtually nothing about you.”

“Sophie,” Lexa’s voice rang loudly in the kitchen, “what are you planning for that child?”

“The elders want to channel the child’s magic back into the community. That’s all you need to know.”

* * *

“You know,” Kol leaned casually against the brick of the alley, “when you said you wanted to maintain your position with the witches I just assumed you had one.”

Lexa’s eyes drifted shut. She shook her head slowly with a humourless laugh.

“”I thought I did,” Lexa sidestepped into the alley, “apparently I was wrong.” She came to a stop a foot in front of Kol and mirrored his stance. “You  _were_ listening.” She crossed her arms and smirked when the movement drew his eyes to her chest. “Are you going to be eavesdropping on all of my conversations now?”

“No,” Kol shook his head, “I’m not one to listen in,” he took a half step forward and smirked, “unless, of course, you are gossiping about me.”

“And what, pray tell, would I be gossiping about?” Lexa tilted her head to the side to rest against the brick and looked up at him.

“My striking good looks,” Kol suggested.

“I thought gossip was supposed to be about the unseen,” Lexa bent her knee slightly so that it brushed against his leg. Kol bent forward until his mouth hovered over her ear.

“My sexual prowess then,” he whispered his breath sending a shiver down her spine.

“I don’t know,” Lexa turned her head to breath against his cheek, “it’s been a while. I’m not sure I could do you justice.”

“Maybe I should do something about that,” Kol placed his hands against the brick on either side of her head.

“Maybe you should,” Lexa bit her bottom lip. She widened her stance when his knee gently separated her thighs. If not for the bricks pressed firmly against her back she might have forgotten that they were in the alley behind Rousseau’s. “However,” her hand pressed against his chest, “I’ve never been much of an exhibitionist.”

Kol blinked once before stepping back. The alley quickly sprang back into focus. He heard the knob of the door turn.

“Meet me at the Gatreaux family tombs,” Kol whispered. He gave her a quick kiss before flashing off to wait for her.

“Oh,” Sophie jumped back and held a hand over her heart. Standing this close Lexa could hear the organ pumping frantically. “Why the fuck are you lurking in the alley?” Sophie hissed.

“I was waiting for you,” Lexa replied. She took a deep breath before tilting her head to regard Sophie. “I was hoping I could persuade you to unbind yourself from Elena.”

“Why would I do that?” Sophie threw the trash into the dumpster. She turned to face Lexa and planted her hands on her hips. “I have the Originals right where I want them.”

“They wouldn’t have to know,” Lexa suggested in honeyed tones.

“I would need blood from Elena,” Sophie scoffed, “and at least two witches to channel, so they would know.”

“I don’t feel right about this.”

“You’ve made that abundantly clear,” Sophie stomped back to the open door, “but it’s not up to you.”

“You’ve made that very clear,” Lexa whispered to the closed door. She wished more than anything that she had a small coven to help her so that she could unbind Elena now.

* * *

Lexa had wandered the grounds for the better part of an hour. She had passed rows of mausoleums reading the faded names on the tombs. She had searched in vain for the name ‘Gatreaux’. She finally admitted defeat when she crossed paths with a group of tourists.

She smiled politely at Sabine before pulling up a map of the cemetery on her phone. Lexa squinted at the tiny print. It took her several minutes of searching to locate her destination.

Ten minutes later she stopped in front of the tomb. Lexa pivoted slowly on her heel to take in the scope of her surroundings. The ‘Gatreaux’ tomb sat nestled between two other tombs. Grass sprang up between the cobblestones in front of the door, and moss crept up the side of the building behind rows of candles. It was an average tomb in the older part of the cemetery. Lexa couldn’t figure out why Kol had chosen this spot, or why he didn’t appear to be anywhere in sight.

“Kol?” She called softly. Lexa shivered when a cold breeze sent a chill down her spine. Cemeteries had always made her anxious. She called for Kol a little louder this time. The wind whistled between the buildings making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She screamed when the door of the tomb creaked open.

“Mierda!”

A hand clamped down over her mouth. She peered up into laughing brown eyes. Kol cleared his throat and allowed his hand to slide around and cup the back of her neck. He bent forward to capture her mouth in a quick kiss.

“Such foul language,” he breathed pulling back, “there is really only one appropriate situation for that kind of language.” Lexa rolled her eyes when he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“I’m not having sex in a cemetery,” she stroked the shoulder of the arm he had wrapped around her waist, “it’s creepy.”

“While I am open to just about any venue,” Kol teased, “that’s not why I wanted to meet you here.” He gently took her hands and pulled her towards the tomb’s open door. “I want to show you something.”

“Isn’t there an old saying about following vampires into tombs?” Lexa shivered as they crossed the threshold and the door drifted shut.

“I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with that one.” Kol grinned and turned his phone’s flashlight. He used it to guide their way down a set of stone stairs into a candlelit room.

“Maybe I’ll have to m-,” she felt her brow furrow and her mouth pop open in shock. “What is this place?” Lexa broke away from Kol to run her fingers lightly across the shelves. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen so many magical objects in one place. Her fingers slowly curled around the hilt of an antique dagger that caused a lump to form in her throat.

“About a hundred years ago,” Kol carefully replaced the dagger on the shelf, “this tomb used to be my ‘playhouse’. The witches I used to run with,” he paused when he caught her piercing green gaze, “we used to make all kinds of magic in here,” he motioned towards the shelves, “well, they did.”

“Witches?” Lexa leaned back with her elbow on the shelf. She raised one eyebrow and narrowed her eyes at him. “How exactly did you ‘run’ with these witches?”

“Elskling, Lexa,” Kol tucked a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. He tried to find a way out of the situation he had gotten himself into, “I love you my little witch.”

“Mi amor,” Lexa framed his face with her hands; palms gently stroking back his short brown hair. She pulled him towards her slowly; her eyes flicked from his eyes to his lips and back. She paused less than an inch from him and breathed against his lips.

“Sweet talk will not get you out of this conversation.”

She danced out of his grasp and placed a shelf between them. Lexa picked up a leather bound grimoire and waited.

“Lexa,” Kol ran his hand along the back of his neck, “must we discuss this?” He gave her a pleading look hoping that she would let the subject. He sighed when she showed no sign of backing down.

“One witch,” Kol answered after several minutes of silence. “Her name was Mary Alice Claire.” Lexa’s head snapped up when she heard the name. “Yes,” he responded to the unasked question, “those Claire’s.”

Lexa nodded once before setting the book back on the shelf. She choked down her irrational jealousy before it could overwhelm her.

“Are you angry with me?” Kol came around to stand by her shoulder. “Are you upset? This is why I didn’t want to tell you; I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not,” Kol grasped her shoulder and turned her to face him.

“Alright I’m not,” Lexa laughed nervously. “Right now I want nothing more than to hunt that witch down and maim her.”

“If she weren’t already dead I would help you.” He stroked the palm of her hand with his thumb.

“Things didn’t end well?”

“You could say that,” Kol muttered darkly. He raised her hand to lay a kiss on her wrist, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she twisted her wrist to capture his cheek, “as far as you were aware, you were unattached.” She stretched up to brush his lips with hers. “I think we can work through it,” she teased, “unless you are about to tell me you knew I was alive.”

Kol placed his hand on her hips and drew her as close to him as physically possible. His thumbs stroked the skin of her stomach under her blouse. She was acutely aware of her body pressed firmly against him. Her palms slipped around his waist to slip beneath his dark button down and splay across the skin of his back.

“Little witch,” his dark eyes met her wide emerald one in an earnest stare; she could feel the conviction dripping from his voice, “if I had known you were alive no power on earth could have kept me from you.”

She wasn’t sure which of them closed the space first, or if they just met in the middle. All she knew was that one moment they were staring at each other in silence, and the next they were locked in a passionate embrace that caused her toes to curl. Lexa’s right hand came up to grasp the back of his neck to hold him close. Her left hand stayed on his back to stroke his back. She smiled against his lips when she felt a shiver run down his spine.

Kol pulled back to rest his forehead against hers. His lips brushed lightly across her brow, her cheek and finally her mouth before he took a half step back to regard her with dark eyes.

“Why did you bring me here?” Lexa broke the silence with a hushed whisper. She attempted a teasing smile. “I know it wasn’t to tell me about that witch whose name I have already forgotten.”

“It was not,” Kol smirked and ran his hands up under her shirt to coast under her ribs. “I woke up early this morning thinking about what you said last night.”

“I said a lot last night,” Lexa laughed when his fingers ghosted along her ribs. “Seriously,” Lexa insisted through her giggles, “I think I said more last night then I have in the past three centuries.”

“Elskling,” Kol interrupted, “this is important.”

“Alright,” Lexa held up her hands in apologetic defeat, “what were you thinking about?”

“The thing you said about soulmates sharing strengths,” his tone turned serious, “got me thinking about,” he paused to look around the tomb. Lexa thought it looked more like a magical rec room. “Well, it got me thinking about your strengths.”

“I’m afraid I don’t quite follow,” Lexa attempted to decipher his expression.

“What, would you say, is your greatest strength?” Kol gave her a pointed look. He grasped her hand and brought it up to the shelf.

Lexa’s eyes widened when her fingers closed around the cool leather spine of a grimoire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> elskling is norse for darling  
> mi amor is spanish for my love  
> at least according to google translate.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

The air in the tomb hung heavily between them. Lexa fingered the worn lettering on the spine of the book. She stared at him with wide eyes blinking slowly. She had never heard of something like this happening before: a vampire with magic. However, she had also never heard of a vampire and a witch being soulmates.

Why couldn’t this be true?

The light dancing in his dark eyes was as infectious as the grin spreading across his face. A smile that threatened to split her own face slowly bloomed across her cheeks.

“Seriously?” Lexa tried to keep the excitement out of her voice. She remembered Kol telling her centuries before: how much he had missed being a witch. The devastation he had felt being cut off from nature. Lexa released the book and twisted her wrist to tangle their fingers. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I have magic,” Kol exclaimed. He bounced on the balls of his feet.

Lexa thought he looked like a child on Christmas morning.

“Are you sure?” She pushed her hair behind her ear.

Kol smirked and the room plunged into darkness as every candle was extinguished. Lexa squeezed Kol’s hand tightly to ground herself in the room. She heard him whisper in Latin causing a single candle to light on a low table beside them.

“Dios mio,” Lexa breathed. The candlelight was just enough to illuminate their faces. “Asombroso, mi amor,” she nibbled on her lower lip and smiled at the single candle. She peeked up at him through her eyelashes.

“I wanted to try this morning, on my own. Just in case,” Kol waved his free hand in the direction of the shelves to provide the space with light, “I was wrong.”

“Have you told anyone else yet?” Lexa lit the rest of the candles with a murmured incantation.

“I wanted to talk to you first,” Kol shook his head. “Although I didn’t think I see you again so soon.” His free hand came up to cup her neck. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and tilted her face to watch her dancing eyes. “I know why I’m happy. Why are you?”

“What gave you the idea that I’m happy?”

“That beautiful smile, threatening to split your face in two, is not exactly subtle.”

“I’m happy for you,” she stretched up to kiss his cheek. She sighed when he raised a quizzical brow. “And with two witches we can unbind Elena sooner.”

“We would need blood from Sophie and Elena,” Kol led her to a red day bed and sat beside her. “Do you have a plan for getting that?”

“Not yet,” Lexa admitted, “but I can come up with something.” She frowned attempting to come up with a plan. “The sooner Elena is free of Sophie, the sooner I can cut ties with them.”

“Somebody’s eager,” Kol teased. “I’ve had my magic back less than a day, and you are already planning to cast off a coven.”

“They are not the nicest people,” Lexa tilted her head to look at him. “And I don’t want to sneak around to see you.” She brushed her lips gently across his before leaning against his side.

“Neither do I,” Kol wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He bent his elbow so he could toy with the blond curls. They slipped into a comfortable silence. They remained that way for a while; neither of them willing to break the tranquility that had settled around them. Eventually Kol’s curiosity got the better of him.

“Lexa,” he wrapped a strand of hair around his finger, “how did you know?”

“Know what?” she toyed with the buttons on his shirt.

“About Elena,” he elaborated, “how did you know she was pregnant? I find it hard to believe you just happened to fall in with the witches of the quarter.”

“The last few decades,” she turned her head up to meet his gaze, “I’ve been having some dreams: prophetic dreams.”

“Oh,” Kol sighed.

“You sound disappointed,” Lexa hummed, “did you have some sort of theory in mind?”

“Well,” Kol placed a lingering kiss to the top of her head, “I thought, maybe, you might have known from experience.”

“Are you trying to ask me something?”

“Were you pregnant?”

“No,” Lexa smiled sadly, “if I had been I might have figured out what happened to me sooner. A month after my marriage I swore I would never give that man children to terrorize,” she explained, “I charmed a stone to keep me from getting pregnant,” she lifted her bracelet so he could see the jade, “I never thought to take it off. That’s probably the only reason I didn’t get pregnant.”

“Okay,” Kol nodded. He wondered briefly if she would consider taking it off now, but decided it was a conversation for another day. “So… prophetic dreams?”

“They were mostly about your brother and Elena,” Lexa laid her palm over his heart, “and you. It took me a while to find the right coven,” she shook her head and gave a small laugh, “fifteen years.”

“So when you found Sophie,” Kol finished, “you made sure to ‘weasel your way in’.”

“Evidently, I didn’t do a very good job of it,” Lexa chuckled. “I have a question for you.”

“Of course, little witch.”

“You rarely do anything without a reason,” Lexa searched his eyes, “I learned that a long time ago.” She smiled when he chuckled, “What is it you were really trying to accomplish in this ‘playhouse’?”

“I was still very upset with Nik at the time,” Kol explained. “Centuries of anger came to the surface when I realized that he had taken me away from you and left me in a box for over a century.” He tightened his hold on Lexa to reassure himself of her presence. “I wanted a way to protect myself,” his laugh held no real amusement, “and to give Nik a taste of his own medicine.”

“The dagger?” Lexa frowned when he nodded. “How would that work? Your brother is a hybrid, and that dagger is silver.”

“I wanted the witches to change it.”

“How?”

“I’m getting to that,” Kol teased. He smirked at her hungry expression. Lexa always had been eager to learn new things. “Have you ever heard of Kemiya?”

Lexa shook her head. She remained silent; unwilling to interrupt him.

“It’s the intersection between science and spirit, darling,” Kol explained with a bright smile. “Through Kemiya witches can change the foundation of an object. They imbue those items with magic to create a dark object.”

“How’s it done?”

“It relies on chemistry,” Kol sat up straight. His eyes glittered in the candlelight, “Specifically, the chemistry between two witches. They channel each other while drawing power from an outside source. I wanted the witches to change the dagger from silver to gold.”

“Judging by the dagger itself I’m going to go out on a limb and say they were unsuccessful.” Lexa arched an eyebrow, “What went wrong?”

“Personally I think it was their chemistry.” Kol didn’t bother to explain who he was referring to; he preferred to avoid any further arguments about Mary Alice Claire.

“They weren’t close?”

“Not close enough.”

Lexa blinked slowly. She glanced at the table that she now realized held a small laboratory.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to teaching your brother a lesson,” she smirked.

“It’s a very physically demanding practice,” Kol warned.

“Then it’s a good thing I am essentially immortal,” Lexa poked his chest.

“We should probably take care of the situation with Elena first,” Kol grabbed her hand and steered the conversation back to the situation at hand.

“Agreed,” Lexa frowned as Sophie’s words raced through her mind. “You’ve spent a considerable amount of time with the witches of New Orleans, right?”

“That depends where you’re going with this.”

“I was thinking about what Sophie said,” she rolled her eyes, “About Elena and Elijah’s baby.” She didn’t miss the shudder that ran through Kol.

“I saw something I shouldn’t have,” Kol answered her unspoken question.

“Okay,” Lexa nodded and decided to leave that one be. “Do you know what Sophie meant by ‘channeling the baby back into the community’?”

“I’ve only ever heard of a witches magic being shared by the community after they’ve died.” Kol frowned and ran a hand though his hair.

“You don’t think…” Lexa trailed off as the dread crept up her spine. Ice spread through her lungs making it hard to breathe.

“They want to kill the baby.”

The ice spread through her veins as he finished the thought.

“We need to unbind them,” Lexa jumped from the daybed, “quickly.”

“I agree,” Kol nodded. “Can you get the blood from Sophie?”

“I don’t see another option,” Lexa made her way to the door; Kol followed closely on her heels. “Can you get the blood from Elena?”

“Shouldn’t be too difficult,” Kol placed a hand on her arm before she could open the door. “Meet me back here?”

“One hour?”

“I’ll see you then,” Kol bent and gave her a quick kiss before pulling the door to the tomb open.

* * *

 

Kol entered the compound; he stopped at the foot of the stairs to listen. Laughter floated down from Elijah’s room. Had time not been a major deciding factor Kol might have waited. However, the constant ticking or his watch, combined with the knowledge they had been at it all day, sent him up the stairs at vampire speed.

He paused outside the door and knocked.

“Go away,” Elijah growled through the wood.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Kol leaned against the wall. “Why don’t you put some clothes on and meet me downstairs? I’ll wait.”

“You’ll be waiting a while,” Elena warned. Kol could hear her giggling as he checked his watch.

“Just to be clear,” Kol called, “you will not be coming out.”

“That’s correct.”

“Very well,” Kol flashed to Nik’s study to grab a vile. He returned a few second later, “don’t say I didn’t warn you.” His hand reached out to twist the knob slowly; he gave them a second to cover up before pushing the door open.

He stepped into the room to see Elijah settling a sheet over Elena. She quickly tucked it under her arm before glaring at home.

“What do you want Kol?” Elijah glared at his little brother.

“I really hope you’re not going to make a habit of this,” Elena pushed some hair back from her flushed face.

“I’ll try not to,” Kol grinned wryly, “at least you’re both covered this time.” He cleared his throat when they leveled him with a heated glare. “I’ll get straight to the point then?”

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Elena gave him a tight lipped grin.

“Not at all,” Kol smirked to mask his discomfort, “I need some blood.”

“Have you tried the kitchen?” Elijah asked drily.

“That’s cute,” Kol leaned back on the dresser, “but I have no plans to return to the kitchen anytime soon. I need Elena’s blood,” he waved the vial in the air, “or rather, Lexa needs her blood.” Kol tossed the vial to Elijah who caught it with a confused frown.

“Why?” Elena sat up a bit in bed to lean against the headboard.

“Some new information has come to light,” Kol explained, “that makes staying bound to Sophie very dangerous. Lexa is going to reverse the spell tonight.”

“I thought she needed a full moon,” Elijah’s eyes flicked from the vial to Kol, “in the absence of blood willingly given.”

“She did,” Kol nodded, “when she was the only witch casting the spell. Channeling another witch will work just as well.”

“She found another witch?” Elena asked. She sat up straight, hugging the sheet close, when Kol nodded, “Who?”

“I promise I will explain later. Right now I need your blood.”

“You mentioned new infor- “

“Later!” Kol cut his brother off.

“Fine,” Elena presented her wrist to Elijah.

Elijah pulled the cork from the vial. He took her wrist in his hand and placed a tender kiss to the skin; he rolled his eyes when Kol cleared his throat. Elena gasped when his teeth broke the skin. She tilted her wrist and watched as Elijah caught the thin stream of blood in the vial.

Elena watched the skin slowly knit itself back together while Elijah closed the vial and tossed it back to Kol. She distantly heard Kol flash out the room and close the door; her eyes remained glued to the blood on her wrist.

“Elena?”

Her eyes snapped up to his concerned gaze. She furrowed her brow trying to figure out why he seemed worried.

“You were staring,” he held her hand and glanced at her bloody wrist. He ignored the feeling of veins appearing under his eyes, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Elena nodded, “I think so.” She twisted her wrist in offering and sighed when his tongue flicked out to lick the blood from her skin. She sat up in the bed and shifted to straddle his hips, the sheet fell away to pool around her waist. “Do you have any idea what Kol was talking about?”

“None,” Elijah shook his head, “but he will explain later.” He ran his hands slowly up and down her back. “I can think of a few ways to spend the time waiting.”

“Oh?” Elena laughed when his wandering hands ghosted across her ribs. She glared at him playfully, but found her eyes growing heavy. Elena blinked trying to bring Elijah’s face back into focus.

“Elena?” His voice reached her from far away. It was as if he were calling to her through water.

The last thing Elena saw was Elijah’s worried eyes before everything went black.

Elijah caught Elena as she slumped. He gently turned her and laid her on the mattress. He released a breath when he heard their steady heartbeats. He inhaled sharply when he smelt blood; a thin cut appeared on her wrist; it didn’t close.

* * *

 

“Dormir,” Lexa murmured to Sophie’s retreating back. She watched Sophie turn around. The look of betrayal on her face was almost enough to make Lexa falter: almost. Lexa watched with bated breath as the spell took affect and Sophie stumbled to the floor.

Lexa picked up a small bottle of basil from the counter; she dumped the herbs out. She then grabbed a knife from the block and knelt next to Sophie drawing the knife across her right wrist.

“Sorry,” the whispered apology never reached the intended ears.

Lexa caught the blood in the bottle before tying a towel over the wound. She closed the bottle, threw up a temporary boundary spell and left the kitchen.

* * *

 

“What kept you?” Kol opened the door to the crypt when he saw her round the corner.

“I had a spot of trouble getting the blood.” Lexa followed him in. she checked her phone to see that she was ten minutes late. “And I don’t have vampire speed.”

“Are you alright?” Kol gathered five candles and arranged them in a pentagram on the floor. He took a seat across from Lexa and lit the candles with an incantation. He poured Elena’s blood in the centre of the candles.

“I’m fine,” Lexa mirrored his actions; the blood mixed together, “but this needs to work.” She worried her bottom lip and reached for his hands. “I have definitely burnt any bridge I might have had with the witches. Once they figure out what happened they will try to stop us.”

“We’d best hurry then,” Kol squeezed her hands and started chanting.

Magic flowed between them where their hands were joined. Kol watched the candles flare up; the light danced across their hands and reflected in the pool of blood that was slowly separating. When there were two distinct pools the chanting slowed, and eventually stopped. Lexa smiled when she saw that it had worked. Her emerald eyes blinked slowly before rising to meet his gaze.

“It worked,” Kol smirked. He rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles.

“I can see that,” Lexa laughed. She pressed her lips together to stifle a yawn.

“Come on,” Kol pulled her to her feet, “I’ll walk you home.” He wrapped an arm around her waist after closing the door. “You are clearly exhausted.”

“Is that the best line you’ve got?” Lexa giggled. “Couldn’t come up with anything better to get me into bed?”

“I do not know to what you are referring,” Kol denied lightly. “I am just taking my little witch home so she can get some sleep.”

“Mmmhmmm,” Lexa hummed, “so… your place or mine?”

“Is that the best line you’ve got?” Kol teased. He pulled her closer.

“Cut me some slack,” Lexa wrapped her arm around him and leaned her head on his chest; “I’m very tired.”

Kol chuckled before steering her in the direction of the Abattoir.

* * *

 

“You know,” Lexa tugged his hand when they entered the courtyard, “I’m not really that tired.”

“Really?” Kol’s hands came to rest on her hips. “You’ve had a very long day,” he murmured against her ear, “by all rights you should be exhausted.”

Lexa laid her palms against his chest and stretched up to whisper against his lips, “I’m not.” She brushed her lips lightly against his.

“I just pulled off what, yesterday, was impossible,” she grinned against his mouth. “I feel exhilarated. I don’t think I could sleep if I wanted to.”

“You sure you don’t want some sleep?” Kol steered them towards the stairs. He slowly walked forward so that she was forced to go backwards.

“I’m sure,” Lexa smirked. She felt the bannister pressing lightly into her back. “I have far too much energy,” she grinned lazily and wrapped her arms around his neck, “I’ll need to burn it off before I can sleep.”

“How about you take a run around the block?” Kol smiled innocently.

“I actually had another activity in mind,” Lexa’s tongue darted out to wet her lips, “usually reserved for two. Would you care to join me?”

She saw a devilish glint enter his eye before Kol closed the distance between them. He captured her lips in a bruising kiss. His hands grasped her waist to pull her flush against him.

Kol groaned when she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth.

Lexa carded her fingers through his hair. She tugged gently when Kol’s hands drifted down to squeeze her behind.

They pulled apart when a cough sounded from the top of the stairs.

“As much as I hate to interrupt,” Elijah adjusted his shirt sleeves, “I fear I’ve no other choice.” He didn’t acknowledge Lexa’s flushed cheeks or swollen lips. “Elena fell unconscious shortly after Kol left, and I believe you had something to do with it.”

“She’ll be fine,” Lexa assured him. She shrugged sheepishly when she felt both brothers watching her closely. “I had to use a sleeping spell on Sophie to get her blood. Elena will wake up soon now that she’s been unbound.”

“Then you were successful?”

“Yes,” Kol rested his hand on the small of Lexa’s back, “but perhaps we should wait for Elena to wake up before explaining everything.”

“I’d rather not explain twice,” Lexa nodded in agreement.

“Good thing I’m awake then,” Elena yawned. She emerged from Elijah’s room wearing one of his shirts. “Just give me a minute to change into something less comfortable.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?  
> What would people like to see happen in the next few chapters?  
> I have the next 13 planned out, but if anyone has any suggestions- and if I like them - I might try to incorporate them into the story.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO
> 
> Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I meant to have it out last saturday, but I caught something from one of the kids, and I've been sick all week. Starting to shake it now though.
> 
> Lots of ELEJAH and LOL in this chapter.

 

After Elena had changed into a pair of pajama’s she joined Elijah, Kol and Lexa in the dining room. Kol still refused to set foot in the kitchen.

“What happened to waiting for the full moon?” Elena dropped into a chair beside Elijah. She crossed her arms and leaned against the table top, “Not that I’m unhappy to be unbound from the Wicked Witch of the West.”

“The who?” Kol tilted his head to one side as Lexa shook with silent laughter.

“Kol was asleep for most of the twentieth century Elena,” Elijah chuckled at her reference.

“Right,” Elena leaned back against her chair with a blush, “I forgot about that.” She offered Kol a small smile before explaining it was a pop culture reference from a movie.

“What’s this new information?” Elijah steered the conversation back before Kol could derail them.

“There is a small chance,” Lexa sighed and rested her elbows on the table, “that the witches of New Orleans want to…” She trailed off for a second when she caught the stares of the couple. “They might b-be planning to s-sacrifice the baby.”

Lexa watched the blood drain from Elena’s face. Elena’s hands pressed against her stomach protectively, as if to protect her child from the conversation.

“How small?” A muscle ticked in Elijah’s jaw. He shifted to lay his right hand over both of Elena’s.

Lexa could see that he was fighting the urge to rush off in search of Sophie. She squeezed Kol’s hand under the table to signal that he should explain. While he did she threw up a quick boundary spell around the compound. It was a good thing she did because as soon as Kol had finished explaining everything – with the exception of his magic – Elijah flashed out of the room.

He collided with the barrier a few seconds later.

“When did you put up a boundary spell?” Kol’s eyes followed the path Elijah had taken of the room.

“While you were talking,” Lexa smirked.

“Why would you do that?” Elijah stormed back into the room, his eyes flashed dangerously.

“Two reasons,” Lexa released Kol’s hand and stood from her chair, “firstly, we have yet to test Sophie to make sure that spell has been lifted. Her coven could have found her and reversed my spell. And secondly,” she placed both hands flat on the table, “you would likely be running into a den of witches without a plan.”

“How long will the spell last?” Elena’s voice crackled with a barely suppressed rage.

“Until the next moonrise, tomorrow night,” Lexa explained, “long enough for the two of you to cool off, and for us to formulate some kind of a plan.”

* * *

 

Several hours later the chimes of a grandfather clock sounded the midnight hour. The rage had raced through Elena and left her exhausted. Lexa stifled a yawn when she noticed that Elena had nodded off.

“Any chance I can slip off for some sleep,” Lexa slouched down in her seat. “I haven’t slept in,” she blinked at her watch trying to bring the blurry numbers into focus, “thirty-nine hours.”

“What,” Elena jerked awake, “you didn’t sleep last night?” She rubbed her eyes.

“I haven’t slept since Sophie showed up at my door to drag me to the cemetery.”

“Go to bed Lexa,” Elijah offered Elena a hand to help her up from the table, “it’s not as if we can go anywhere.”

Lexa didn’t bother addressing his sarcasm. She stood from the table and shuffled out of the room.

“She was trying to help,” Kol shook his head. He spun on his heel to follow Lexa from the room.

“Elskling?” Kol laid his hand on her hip when he found her motionless by the fountain. “Come on, little witch,” he gently directed her, “I’ll take you upstairs.”

Three steps up it became clear that Lexa would go no further in her exhausted state. Kol picked her up and carried Lexa the rest of the way to his bedroom. He smiled when she laid her head against his shoulder. She was sound asleep when he laid her on the bed. Kol tugged off her shoes before lying down and covering them both with a blanket.

* * *

Elena woke up in the mid-morning after a restless sleep. She took her journal and laptop with her to the library after a quick breakfast. Elijah joined her and grabbed a book from one of the shelves. He settled into a club chair across from Elena.

He attempted to read for a while, but found himself unable to focus on the Latin prose. His attention was on Elena’s pounding heart; it betrayed her rage under the calm expression. Elijah glanced up from his book to watch her.

She had shifted so her back was against the armrest, and propped her knees to use as a makeshift table for her journal. Her expression was neutral as her hand slid across the page. Her heartbeat and the tight grip on the pen revealed her anxiety.

Wordlessly Elijah stood up and moved to sit on the other side of the couch by her feet. The book fell open in his lap; he steadied it with his right hand. He laid his left hand on her foot. He smiled when he heard her heartrate slow down. He pulled out his phone to check his incoming texts.

** Niklaus:  ** transcripts gone through. They are set to start Monday. Should be back by 9 or 10. Make sure Kol’s witch is there.

* * *

Lexa shivered.

Something was stroking her arm. The touch was feather-light; it caused goosebumps to rise on her skin. As a child she had always been stubborn, she refused to be the first to give in, and that trait had stuck with her through the centuries.

Her stubborn streak flared up now. She could smell Kol; she could feel the silent laugh rumbling through him. She knew that he could hear the shift in her heartbeat, but it didn’t matter; she would not admit she was awake.

Lexa kept her eyes shut to feign sleep while Kol continued to stroke her arm. She heard the smallest of sighs from him. He was just as stubborn as Lexa.

Kol smirked mischievously. His fingers quickly left her arm before ghosting over her stomach. He began to trace lazy patterns over her shirt.

Lexa inhaled sharply when his fingers slipped under the fabric of her shirt. She steeled her nerves as his hand worked its way up to the flesh under her breast. She was prepared for him to slide further upwards; she was not prepared for him to start viciously tickling her ribs.

She released a breath and stifled her giggles, but the thing about suppressed laughter is that it always, eventually, breaks out.

“Kol,” Lexa gasped greedily for air, “stop,” she tried to squirm out of his reach, “p-please.”

Kol splayed his hands across her ribs to still her wriggling form. He grinned down into her laughing eyes.

“Feeling better?” Kol rested his forehead against hers. “Did you sleep well? You shouldn’t go so long without sleep.”

“I was sleeping peacefully,” she narrowed her eyes in a glare, “until I was rudely awakened.” She couldn’t keep the grin from her face.

“They say laughter is the best medicine,” Kol leaned down to breath against her lips.

“Who says that?”

“I have no idea,” Kol brushed his mouth against hers in a gentle kiss.

“Mmm,” Lexa pulled back to leave an inch of space between them, “I’m not sick.” She cupped his cheek, the stubble of his beard scraped her palm.

“Fine,” Kol sighed. He turned to kiss her cheek, “I just wanted to hear you laugh.”

“Why?”

“Because,” Kol punctuated each word with a kiss on her throat; each kiss got closer to his mouth, “it is the most enchanting sound I have ever heard.” He pulled back to smile down at her. “When you laugh you smile so brightly it makes your eyes sparkle like stars.” He stroked her cheekbone with his thumb.

“Can you blame me for wanting to see that light in your eyes again?”

“I suppose not,” Lexa smiled slowly up at him. “Next time try a joke,” her eyes sparkled with amusement and kissed the edge of his mouth, “I’ll be less likely to attempt escape.”

Kol laughed before capturing her lips in a lazy kiss. Lexa thought it was one of the best things she had ever heard.

* * *

“Caroline and Niklaus will be back tonight,” Elijah glanced up from the message. “You and Caroline are set to start Tulane on Monday.”

“I haven’t even picked classes yet.” Elena used her pen as a bookmark and set her journal on the coffee table.

“Niklaus is very thorough,” Elijah assured her, “if you check your email you will likely find all of the information you’ll need.”

Elena sat up on the couch and crossed her legs so that her knee brushed against his thigh. She reached for her laptop, glad of the distraction, and logged into her e-mail. A small gasp escaped her lips when the inbox finished loading.

“Is everything alright?” Elijah gently squeezed her knee and set his book on the table.

“How is it,” Elena breathed deeply when six new messages appeared, “that I am more upset over this then the witches.” She spun the laptop so he could see the messages still pouring in.

“Elena,” Elijah looked up from the twelve new messages, “why do you have over 600 messages from … [eternal.stud@gmail.com](mailto:eternal.stud@gmail.com)? Who is that?”

“That would be Damon… being Damon,” Elena seethed, “he’s obsessed; he wants to know where I am. Each message gets slightly more aggressive.” She could feel her blood pressure rising. “I’m going to have to sort through all of these.” She took back her computer and glared at the screen. “Is there a way to block e-mails from someone?”

“Open one of the messages,” Elijah offered, “There should be an options button.”

Elena did as he suggested. She smiled when the action brought up a list of options. One was to block an address.

“What are the odds,” Elena peeked up through her eyelashes, “that blocking him will automatically delete every email?”

“Are we placing bets?” Elijah smirked. “If so I will say it is going to work and every message will disappear. They will likely go to the junk folder.”

“It’s never that easy,” Elena shook her head with a small smile. “It’s not going to work.”

“Do we have a bet?” Elijah arched an eyebrow at her.

“What do I get if I win?” Elena’s finger hovered over the button.

“What do you want?” Elijah’s hand trailed up the outside of her thigh.

Elena nibbled her lip and considered her options.

“If I win,” she stilled his hand, “you have to change into something more casual.” As hard as she tried to picture it she couldn’t see him in anything other than a suit.

“Alright,” Elijah nodded. “If I win, you have to send your novel to the publisher,” he squeezed her hand and cut off her protests. “I know you finished it.”

“Fine,” Elena sighed. She took a shallow breath and clicked the button. Every message in her inbox disappeared leaving three official messages from Whitmore and Tulane, and one from Jeremy. “It didn’t work,” Elena fought the grin that wanted to form on her face.

“Elena,” Elijah took the laptop and placed it on the table, “you know I can hear your heartbeat.”

“That’s cheating,” Elena accused lightly, “don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I do, darling,” he threaded his fingers through her short hair, “but I know you’ll put off sending your novel if you can.”

“I am not putting it off,” Elena denied firmly. Her fingers traced the line of his lapel, “I just really wanted to get you out of that suit.”

“All you had to do was ask, my dear,” Elijah smirked before tugging her forward and kissing her soundly. He pulled back a minute later and gave her a pointed look, “you have an email to send.”

“Tease,” Elena accused. She placed her palm against his chest to push him back, and reached for the laptop. She turned on the couch and opened her drafts. “Maybe I should edit the email,” Elena stalled. She stared at the cursor as it hovered over ‘send’.

“You don’t need to edit it,” he wrapped his arm around her waist and placed a kiss on her bare shoulder, “it’s perfect. Send the email.”

Elena sighed. She closed her eyes and drew in two deep breaths before sending the email. She could almost see the email lift from the computer and fly through the open window. “Happy now?”

“Ecstatic,” he grinned, “I can already see your book on the best seller list.”

“It hasn’t even been picked up yet,” Elena laughed. She opened one of the messages from Tulane that led her to a course selection site. “I don’t see it hitting any list anytime soon.”

“It will,” he assured her. “What classes are you going to choose?” He read some of the offered classes over her shoulder.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “it really doesn’t matter. I have everything I need to graduate; I just need a few more credits.”

“It would seem that you have an opportunity,” he placed an open mouthed kiss just below her ear, “to explore anything you might be interested in.”

“Would you like to know what I’m interested in right now?” Elena raised her hand to cup his neck.

“I would love to,” Elijah’s voice took on a husky tone when she turned around to finger his tie.

“Getting you out of that suit,” she smirked seductively. Her eyes flicked between his eyes and his mouth.

“I told you, Elena,” his hands splayed over her hips, “all you have to do is ask.”

“I’m asking,” Elena craned her neck to breath against his ear. Her hands began to loosen the knot of his tie. She shifted quickly to straddle him and brushed her lips against his jaw making her way to his mouth.

“As you wish, darling.”

* * *

“It was unnecessary,” Caroline clenched her fists as she glanced into the backseat.

“I was open to other options, love,” Klaus gripped the steering wheel tightly. He glanced down at the speedometer and noted that he was speeding. “Compulsion wouldn’t work.”

“So you resorted to sedatives?” She rolled her eyes and stared out the window.

“The other option was to bleed out your friend, and then compel her.” He turned his head to take in Caroline’s rigid form. “I didn’t think you or Elena would take kindly to that.” He used the rear view mirror to check on their passenger, “she’ll be fine. The sedatives will keep her out until we get to New Orleans.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will have KLAROLINE and some JeremyxElena interaction.
> 
> Anyone have any ideas for the fallout with Lexa and the witches? What did everyone think of the chapter.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO
> 
> This chapter wound up being nearly 7000 words so I divided it in two sections. I think I chose the best spot for it.
> 
> Also I'm thinking of doing a Princess Diaries 2 AU with either Klaroline or Elejah. Elejah would be fun to write in the scenario, but so would Klaroline.
> 
> SMUT Warning towards the end of the chapter.

 

Later in the afternoon Elena returned to her e-mails while Elijah conducted some business in his study. There was one message from Jeremy that caught her eye. He had tried to contact her, but her phone was forwarding him to voicemail; he wanted to know why Damon kept calling him. Elena checked her phone; she had put it on airplane mode after Caroline called yesterday, and she had forgotten to fix it.

Elena ran her fingers roughly through her hair. She switched her phone back on.

_ Chirp…chirp…chirp _

Her phone continued to signal incoming messages; Elena put her phone on vibrate and sat it beside her on the couch. She didn’t pick it up again until it stopped vibrating several minutes later; while she waited she sent an email to Tulane with her course selections.

Elena shook her head in frustration when she saw the 16 voicemails, 889 text messages, and 47 missed calls all from Damon. There were a few from Jeremey as well. She forced herself to ignore the myriad of messages and dialed Jeremey’s number.

He picked up on the third ring.

_ “She lives.” _

“Very funny,” Elena chuckled. She leaned back on the couch and crossed her legs. “My phone was on airplane mode,” Elena explained, “sorry I missed your calls.”

_ “S’okay,” Jeremey sighed. “I made the mistake of answering one of Damon’s calls…” _

“Oh?” Elena waited with baited breath. “What did he say?”

_ “Something crazy,” Jeremey spoke slowly enunciating every word. “He demanded I tell him where you are – because apparently you’ve disappeared from Whitmore…” _

“That’s true,” Elena’s fingers tangled in the chain of her locket. “I transferred schools for my last semester.” She twisted the chain. “Did he say anything else?”

_ “Yeah, and that’s the crazy part,” Jeremey hesitated. _

Elena felt a rage race through her. She felt the palm of her hand grow hot against her throat. “What did he say?”

_ “He said you were pregnant,” Jeremey finally admitted, “and that the father is a … vampire.” _

Elena felt her eyebrows draw down into a harsh line. She clenched her fists tightly as the heat in her palms became unbearably hot. She wanted to scream; Damon had told her brother before she had a chance to. She felt her blood pounding in her ears as she tried to figure out how Damon had even found out.

_ “Are you still there?” _

“Yeah, I’m here,” she mumbled.

_ “I’m still waiting for you to deny it…” _

Elena shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath to calm down. She drew in a second breath, by the third breath her palms had cooled down and she was able to unclench her fists.

“I can’t do the, Jer,” she set her palm on her stomach as a wave of nausea washed over her, “I am pregnant.”

_ “What about the other bit?” _

“That’s true as well.”

_ “Are you sure?” _

“Yes.”

_ “Then I will skip the question of how; you can explain that later. Are you happy about it?” _

“I am,” Elena nodded despite the fact that he couldn’t see her, “after I got over the shock of course.”

_ “Well,” Jeremey hesitated for a moment, “if you’re happy then I’m happy. Now, where are you? I promise not to tell Damon.” _

“You swear?” Elena breathed deeply in hopes that the nausea would subside. “I don’t want him knowing where I am, Jer.”

_ “If he finds out it won’t be from me.” _

“I’m in New Orleans.”

_ “New Orleans?”  _ Elena could hear the confusion in his voice.  _“Isn’t that where you go to meet Klaus? Shit its Klaus!”_

“It is not Klaus,” Elena made sure each word came out clearly; not an easy feat as she was trying to stifle her laughter.

_ “But it is an Original,” Jeremey guessed. _

“I never said that.”

_ “So it’s not an Original?” _

“I didn’t say that either,” Elena laughed.

_ “I’m going to assume Elijah,” Jeremey laughed, “Kol’s really not your type.” _

“I’m surprised how well you’re taking this,” Elena shifted on the couch, “I was expecting you to freak out.” She stood up to cross the room to the open window; the cool air calmed her stomach.

_ “Why would I?” Jeremey teased. His voice suddenly turned very serious. “I had hoped that my sister would choose a life far away from vampires, but that ship has sailed. At some point you will have to explain how this pregnancy happened; maybe I’ll take a trip over there in a few weeks.” Jeremey paused as if he were trying to figure out the best way to phrase the rest of his speech. “I suppose if you had to choose a vampire you could have done a lot worse than Elijah; at least he respects you, and your decisions. That hasn’t changed right?” _

“No,” Elena smiled softly in the direction of Elijah’s study, “it hasn’t.”

_ “Good,”  _ Elena could hear the grin in his voice,  _“if that ever does change you tell me; okay? And if he ever hurts you I will find a way to kill him.”_

“I’ll keep you updated,” Elena huffed out a laugh, “and I’ll let him know.” Her head snapped up when she heard a string of curses coming from the kitchen. “Jer, I got to go.”

_ “Alright, stay safe Elena. Love you.” _

“I love you, too.” Elena hung up the phone before heading towards the kitchen.

* * *

 

Lexa broke the lazy make out session when the growling of her stomach grew to loud to ignore. She sat up in the bed and rested her hands on Kol’s chest.

“You know,” she slipped her hand down his arm to take his hand; “I can’t remember the last thing I ate.” Lexa frowned when her stomach grumbled again. “How about showing me the kitchen?”

“Or,” Kol’s fingers toyed with her bracelet, “I could take you out for breakfast.”

“Its past noon,” Lexa giggled, “and we are stuck in the house until the moon rises.” She dropped into a half swoon, “I don’t think I’ll make it that long.”

“A very late lunch then,” Kol swallowed audibly.

“We are still stuck inside,” Lexa narrowed her eyes. “What’s the problem with going to the kitchen?” She was already pulling away to stand up. “Where are my shoes?”

“They’re at the foot of the bed.” Kol stood up and passed Lexa her shoes. He pulled on his own shoes and gave her a pleading look. “I don’t think I can go back in the kitchen yet.”

“Why not?” Lexa grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the door. They were at the foot of the stairs when he stopped moving and pulled her around to face him.

“We could order something in,” Kol couldn’t quite meet her eyes.

“Kol,” Lexa cupped his cheek and angled his head down to meet her gaze, “what is the problem with going to the kitchen, mi amor?”

Kol shuddered before explaining how he had caught Elena and Elijah in a very compromising position the previous day. When he was finished speaking Lexa let loose with a few choice expletives in English and Spanish.

“The bedroom was just too far?” Lexa crowed with laughter as Elena emerged from the library.

“Excuse me?” Elena stammered. She could feel a blush taking over her cheeks as she realized what Lexa was referring to.

“Sorry, Elena,” Lexa struggled to get her breathing under control, “I couldn’t resist. And Kol, you’re a vampire,” she poked his chest with her finger, “in the future use your ears.” She turned to face Elena. “Can you show me where the kitchen is? I am so hungry; I’m surprised you can’t hear my stomach.”

“I’ll show you,” Elena motioned for Lexa to follow her, “I’m a little peckish myself.”

Elena led the way to the kitchen; Lexa followed her through to the island. They were pulling some things from the fridge for a tossed salad when they noticed Kol lurking in the doorway.

“Kol,” Elena giggled, “if I promise to remain fully clothed, in the kitchen, will you come in?”

“You promise?” Kol crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame.

“Cross my heart,” Elena met his eyes and tore the lettuce for her salad, as Lexa sliced vegetables.

“Alright,” Kol grumbled. He crossed the kitchen, giving the island a wide berth, to sit at the table.

Lexa dropped tomatoes and cucumbers in the salad bowl before reaching for an onion. She chopped the onion and blinked back tears while Elena pulled some dressing from the fridge.

“How are you feeling?” Lexa watched Elena carefully.

A flush had crept into Elena’s cheeks. Her dark eyes glistened, and a thin sheen had taken over her brow.

“I’m alright,” Elena stroked her hair back from her face, “a little nauseous. Any idea when that will pass?”

“Sorry,” Lexa smiled and tossed the salad, “I have no idea.” Her eyes dropped to the bracelet around her wrist. “From what I understand, morning sickness is different for everyone.”

“Why do they call it morning sickness?” Kol opened the fridge to pull out a blood bag. “It’s midafternoon.”

“It’s just what they call it,” Elena shrugged. She watched as Kol opened the bag and drank it like a juice box. She leaned against the counter and watched him as she spoke. A pang of hunger hit her as she saw the blood slowly drain from the bag. It was followed by a wave of nausea so strong she had to put her head down on the counter.

“You alright?” Kol discarded the empty bag and stepped into Elena’s personal space. He gently pulled her head up and felt her forehead.

“Elena,” Lexa wiped her hands on a towel and peered into Elena’s eyes, “you look flushed.”

“Yeah,” Elena shrugged off their concern, even as her breathing grew laboured, “I’m fine. The morning sickness comes in waves; one minute I’m fine and the next I feel like I’m going to be physically ill. I’ll be fine in a minute; I think.”

Elena took the salad bowl to the table before returning for bowls and cutlery. She wrung her hands together as she took a seat at the table. Elena knew she had to ask about what had just happened; if anyone would have an answer then it would surely be Lexa.

“Lexa,” Elena ventured when she and Kol sat down, “do you …” she looked away, and focused her eyes on the salad bowl. “Do you h-have any idea what I should expect over the next eight months?”

“I’m sorry,” Lexa frowned, “I’ve never been pregnant, Elena. I hear there are some great books you can read.”

“Books like, ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting a half Vampire baby’?” Elena crinkled her nose.

“I don’t think that book has been written yet.” Kol chuckled and dished out a bowl of salad.

“I hear you’re a writer,” Lexa used her fork to point at Elena, “maybe you could write it.” She cut a sideways glance at Kol: “I might be interested in reading it someday.”

“So you are anticipating some differences,” Elena clutched her fork tightly, “from a normal pregnancy.”

“Is there something on your mind, darling?” Kol peered at her through narrowed eyes.

Lexa studied Elena carefully. She had yet to touch her salad, but her colour had started to return to normal. Elena had glanced up at Kol before fixing her eyes firmly on the table.

“I should think there would be some differences,” Lexa laid her fork on the table and reached for Elena’s hand. She took the fork from her and dropped it on the table. “The baby is half-vampire, and that will affect you somehow. Heightened senses; I would think they’d be even higher than mine for the duration of the pregnancy. Is that what you’ve noticed?”

“Yes,” Elena chewed her lip, and met Lexa’s eyes, “I have noticed that.”

“There’s something else though,” Kol pressed. He tilted his head to one side, “what caused your nausea Elena?” Kol thought he already knew, but he wanted to hear it from her.

“The blood actually,” Elena admitted after a beat. She glanced up to see Elijah in the door; he came wordlessly into the room to sit beside her.

“It wasn’t immediate.” Kol sat back in his chair to watch her.

“You were staring at you’re blood yesterday,” Elijah turned to face her, “I had to call your name several times before you looked up.”

“You did?” Elena’s brow drew down in a frown. “I only heard you the once.”

“She was staring at my blood bag as well,” Kol tapped his fingers on the table, “before the nausea hit.”

“Can you not talk about me like I’m not here?” Elena glared at Kol across the table.

“I’m sorry,” Kol held up his hands in apology, “you were staring at my blood bag,” he smirked, “is that better?”

Elena nodded once and rolled her eyes before relaxing into her chair.

“Do you know why the nausea took so long to ‘rear-its-head’?” Lexa pressed her lips together in a firm line. Her eyes widened when she saw Elena’s spine straighten. “Dios Mio,” Lexa whispered as realization dawned on her, “it made you hungry.”

Elena nodded as a blush crept over her cheeks. She fixed her mouth in a straight line when she felt Elijah and Kol staring at her.

“And that knowledge made you sick,” Lexa finished with a soft sigh.

They sat in silence for several moments before Elena asked the question she had been dreading.

“Am I going to have to drink blood at some point?” She fixed Lexa with a piercing stare.

“Wouldn’t we be the ones to ask about that?” Kol motioned to himself and Elijah.

“Forgive me if I think the witch will know more about a mystical pregnancy,” Elena shrugged.

“I don’t know,” Lexa shook her head and picked up her fork again, “I don’t think so. You don’t want blood; the baby does, which it gets from you. The most I could see you needing is an iron supplement, and even that’s unlikely since you heal so fast.”

“The baby is feeding from her?” Elijah laid his hand on Elena’s arm and squeezed gently.

“And I’m not experiencing symptoms of blood loss because I heal,” Elena repeated.

“Yes,” Lexa stabbed her salad with the fork, “I wouldn’t be concerned about it. Hopefully the, would be bloodlust will pass with the morning sickness. I imagine it would be very inconvenient in a house full of vampires.”

Elena nodded and moved Elijah’s hand from her arm to lock their fingers together.

“Is there anything that could kill me now?” Elena looked down at their joined hands; her thumb toyed with his daylight ring. Elijah tightened his hold on her when she asked the question.

“I don’t know for sure,” Lexa shrugged sadly. She felt Kol’s hand drop to her thigh. “I would assume something that would immediately kill us would still work, but I’m not itching to test the theory.”

* * *

 

Lexa dropped onto her hands and knees in the dining room. She peered under the table searching for her bag. There was no sign of the dark blue purse. Lexa sighed and shifted to stand back up when she sensed someone behind her on the floor. She gasped when hands settled on her waist and pulled her back flush against a firm chest.

“What are you doing?” Kol breathed against her neck. His hand slid around to caress her stomach while his teeth tugged gently on her ear.

“I was looking for my purse.” Lexa bit back a moan as his fingers slipped under her shirt, and he nipped her neck. “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to distract me?”

“Probably,” he nibbled her neck over her pulse point, “because,” he left a kiss on throat, “I am always looking to distract you.” His hand stroked the skin of her stomach. He grinned against her neck when the action caused the muscles of her abdomen to grow taut.

“Has anyone ever told you,” Lexa laid one hand over his where it rested on her hip, “that you are a terrible influence?” Her other hand cradled his neck holding him close. “I really need to find that bag…” she rubbed his neck and rocked her hips back against him.

“What’s so important about the bag?” Kol groaned when she rocked back again.

“It has anything I could possibly need in it,” she whispered heavily, “including clean clothes, and my grimoire. Have you seen it?”

“You didn’t have it last night,” Kol murmured. “You took it with you when you left the cemetery; you didn’t bring it back.”

“Mierda,” she cursed quietly, “I must have left it at Rousseau’s.” She pulled away from him and sighed.

Kol groaned when her body slipped from his fingers. He frowned when she dropped from her knees to sit on the floor and face him.

“I liked that bag,” Lexa ran her fingers through her hair; she grimaced when they caught in her curls.

“We can go to Rousseau’s when the spell lifts,” Kol promised.

“And my apartment?” Lexa raised one eyebrow.

“I will drive you myself, little witch.” Kol reached for her hand with a lazy grin. “Although I don’t see what the rush is…”

“I told you,” Lexa leaned forward to lay her palm over his heart, “I need clean clothes.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Kol tugged the collar of her blouse, “you don’t need clothes at all.” He winked before dipping to brush his lips gently against hers.

“I think your brother and Elena may object to me walking around naked,” Lexa breathed as he trailed kisses down her neck. She shivered when his tongue flicked across her collarbone, and he started unbuttoning her blouse. “Not to mention your sister.”

“Minor detail,” he grinned against her chest.

Kol finished unbuttoning her shirt. He slipped it from her shoulders before meeting her lips again in a bruising kiss. He groaned when Lexa slipped her hands under his shirt; she pushed him back and tugged the material over his head. He attempted to kiss her again, but she stopped him with a hand on his chest.

Lexa watched him through heavily-lidded eyes. Her gaze roamed his flushed face and chest before flicking to his eyes. She nibbled on her lip and pushed him back when he tried to draw her closer.

“Shut the door,” she murmured.

She jumped to her feet when Kol flashed to the door. She heard the lock click before he stood in front of her again. Her breath hitched when he gripped her hips and lifted her onto the table.

“I can’t say I miss the corset,” Kol smirked, “although it did leave something to the imagination.” He fingered the strap of her lace bra.

“They did,” Lexa moaned when he tweaked her nipple through the thin material, “although this is much easier to remove.” She guided his hand around her back to the clasp.

Kol unhooked her bra and let it fall from her arms, and kissed her. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth. Lexa gasped and Kol took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth.

He groaned when Lexa sucked on his tongue. He pulled back only to have her bite his bottom lip briefly. He pressed his forehead against hers and drew in a shaky breath.

Kol slowly slipped his hands under the hem of her skirt to rest against her hips. He gently pulled her towards the edge of the table and sank to his knees. The look he gave her was positively sinful; Lexa inhaled sharply when he nipped her inner thigh. He hooked his thumbs in the sides of her lace panties; Lexa lifted her hips to allow him to slide them down her legs.

Lexa trembled as he slowly trailed kisses up her thigh getting slowly closer to where she wanted him. Her head fell back with a groan when he moved from her right leg to her left. The muscles in her thighs clenched when he nipped the skin. She rolled her neck from side to side before meeting his eyes.

“Kol,” she raked her nails through his hair, “please…” Her thumb gently stroked the veins beneath his eyes. She gasped when his bit into her thigh; his teeth broke the skin. She felt heat pool in her belly; it dropped lower when he took small pulls of blood from her.

“You’re getting the table wet,” Kol teased. The bite mark quickly faded when he released her.

“Don’t tease, mi amor,” Lexa breathed heavily. She licked her lips and pulled his hair to angle his head. “If I’m getting the table wet it is your fault,” she accused lightly, “are you going to do something about it?”

“With pleasure,” he smirked before flicking his tongue against her folds. He circled her clit with his tongue before sucking it into his mouth. Lexa threaded her fingers through his hair and arched her back when he slipped two fingers inside her; he pumped them in and out quickly stroking that spot inside her that made her see stars.

“Mierda!” Lexa gasped as her orgasm washed over her. She was still reeling when he stood up between her thighs. She took a moment to get her breathing under control.

“I do hope you’re not planning on teasing me some more,” she nipped along his chin, “it’s been far too long for that.” Her hands dropped to squeeze him through his jeans. She repeated the action when he moaned.

“It would appear that you are the one teasing, Elskling,” he grunted when she nibbled on his ear and squeezed him again.

“Payback,” Lexa waggled her eyebrows and giggled, “for teasing me earlier.” She grinned before popping the button on his jeans and undoing the zipper. She hooked her thumbs under the waistband of his underwear and jeans and pushed them down. Kol had removed his shoes at some point, so he quickly shimmied out of his pants and kicked them aside.

Lexa wrapped her fingers around his erection and pumped slowly. Her other hand cupped the back of his neck to pull him in to a bruising kiss. Her thumb swiped across the tip of his cock gathering the leaking pre-cum. She heard his heart stutter in his chest when she popped her thumb in her mouth and sucked. His dark eyes burned intensely when she met his gaze.

“You know,” he placed a chaste kiss on her lips, “I had imagined the first time I took you again to be in a bed,” he rucked her skirt up around her waist again, “and I would keep you there all day.”

“You’ll have ample opportunity in the future,” Lexa breathed heavily against his lips. She planted her hands on his chest and guided him back to fall into one of the dining room chairs. “You can keep me in bed all day tomorrow,” she hopped down from the table, “I promise.” Lexa unzipped her skirt so that it pooled around her feet.

“Something to look forward to,” Kol smirked. He grabbed her wrists and drew her closer until her legs rested on either side of his chair.

She had just started to lower her hips when he stopped her. His eyes fell to her bare wrists.

“What happened to your bracelet?” He ran his thumbs along the inside of her wrists.

“It must have fallen off,” Lexa followed his gaze.

“Should we find it first?” Kol drew her wrist to his mouth and kissed her palm. There was an unspoken question in his eyes.

“Should we?” Lexa countered.

She slowly lowered her hips until she could feel him against her folds. She stilled and searched his eyes, waiting for him to make the next move. His hands splayed across her hips; her breath hitched sharply when he filled her completely. He waited a moment before guiding her hips to rock against him.

“I do hope you’re sure,” Lexa purred, “because there is no way I’m searching for it now.” She moaned when his fingers ghosted over her hips. His tongue dipped into her ear.

“I’m sure,” his lips brushed her ear, “are you?”

“Yes,” she inhaled sharply when he gripped her hips. The next thing she knew her back was pressed firmly against the table while Kol kissed her hungrily. His hips found a steady rhythm that had her slowly building to a second orgasm.

She closed her legs around his hips and pulled him closer. She whimpered when he straightened and lifted one of her legs over his shoulder. She arched her back when the new angle allowed him to hit her g-spot with each snap of his hips.

Lexa opened her eyes to watch him with a heated look. Her right hand slowly slipped down her body to rub her clit.

Kol groaned when she touched herself, he could remember a time she had been hesitant to do so in front of him. He watched a flush creep over her chest. Her thighs trembled as she tumbled over the edge into her second orgasm. The way she moaned his name combined with a mixture of curses in English and her native Spanish had his pace stuttering. He followed her a few minutes later; his vision momentarily fading to black.

Lexa felt her heart flutter when he laid a kiss to her shoulder.

“I plan on keeping you in bed all day tomorrow,” Kol lifted his head to meet her eyes, “and maybe for the rest of today…”

Lexa giggled and lightly smacked his arm. She felt his rumbling laugh against her throat.

“In case you’ve forgotten, mi amor, you promised to drive me to Rousseau’s later,” she ran her fingers through his hair, “and my apartment.” She shivered when the thin sheen of sweat dried in the cool air. “So you can’t keep me in bed indefinitely.”

“Later is not a set time,” Kol grinned. He drew her to sit up on the table; he met her lips in a sweet kiss.

“What?” Lexa murmured when he started shaking with silent laughter. “What’s so funny?”

“It just occurred to me,” Kol chortled. “You were teasing Elena earlier about the bedroom being too far away.”

“Hey,” Lexa poked his chest with a mock glare, “you started this.”

“But you are the one who said ‘shut the door’.” Kol mirrored her expression and mimicked her movement.

“Somehow,” Lexa shivered when a chill spread down her spine, “I don’t think she went as long as I did.” She brushed her lips against his cheek. “Now,” she brushed her hair back from her face, “pass me my clothes, please. It’s very cold in here.”

“I can tell,” Kol laughed his gaze on her chest. He stepped away from her and passed her clothes over. His head snapped to the floor when he heard a metallic clink. He picked up the bracelet from where it had fallen from the folds of her blouse.

“What do you want to do with this?”

She wordlessly took the silver chain and slipped it into a hidden pocket in her skirt.

“Unless you think I should put it back on,” Lexa bit her lip, “I’ll tuck it away.” She waited giving him time to recant his earlier stance.

“Tuck it away,” Kol fastened his jeans before buttoning her blouse, “as long as that’s what you want.”

Her hands snaked around her waist to zip her skirt. The bracelet remained in her pocket.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> As promised here is the second part of the chapter. Something new is happening with Elena, and it's based on something Katherine mentioned back in season 2 of TVD. Can anyone guess where I'm going with this?

Caroline shifted in her seat in an attempt to get more comfortable. She blindly pulled her hair into a low ponytail. She noted that the moon had risen in the sky as her arms dropped to her lap.

“We’re almost there, love,” Klaus murmured so as not to wake their passenger. He laid his hand over hers on the console and squeezed gently. They were roughly an hour outside of New Orleans.

“Are you sure she’ll be out the rest of the way?” Caroline rocked forward in her seat, but she didn’t pull her hand away. “I thought I heard her breathing shift.”

Klaus was about to dismiss her worry as the result of an over tired imagination when he heard it. Bonnie’s breath, which had been slow and even, had quickened; she was coming to.

“It did,” Klaus’ mouth twisted in a small frown. His hand returned to the wheel as the speedometer increased.

* * *

 

“Alright,” Lexa strode into the library, “the moon has risen, and my spell has fallen.” She grasped the back of the couch. “I have to leave to get some things – assuming Sophie has burnt my apartment to the ground,” she muttered and leveled Elijah and Elena with a dark stare. “Can I trust the two of you to not rush off and get yourselves killed?”

“I think we can manage that,” Elena rolled her eyes and set the book she had been attempting to read. “It’s not as if there’s much that could kill me anyway.” Now that she knew she was no longer trapped inside her mind wandered back to Sophie.

“We won’t put ourselves in harm’s way,” Elijah promised; he gave Elena a pointed look. “Will you be returning? Niklaus has asked that you be here when he and Caroline return.” A sense of dread spread through his chest as her expression darkened.

“He didn’t happen to say why?” Lexa tightened her grip on the sofa; her knuckles slowly turned white.

“He did not,” Elijah listened as her heart raced with suppressed rage, “however, he did make the matter seem important.” Elijah would not have been surprised to see lightening flash over her head. “Where’s Kol?”

“He went to start the car,” Lexa spun on her heel to leave the room. She clenched her jaw and tried to ignore the footsteps that followed her out.

She stopped several paces from the door and drew in three deep breaths; she turned to face Elijah.

“What?” She mentally congratulated herself when she didn’t snap at him. It was difficult. Every time she looked at him she was transported to a cold staircase in a mostly empty tavern. Several emotions wared for her attention: rage, sorrow, and residual terror.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Elijah kept a respectable distance between them; he did not want to incur her wrath as Niklaus had done. “Will you be returning this evening?”

“Do I really have a choice?” Lexa muttered. “If I don’t, I’m certain one of you will hunt me down and drag me back. I may as well come back on my own.” Her eyes glittered like emeralds in the moonlight. She started to walk away again when he called her back. “Was there something else?”

“Yes…”

“Were you going to share?” Lexa asked when he lapsed into an uneasy silence. She saw a muscle in his jaw tick.

Lexa crossed her arms over her chest; she shifted from foot to foot while she waited.

“I,” he adjusted his cuffs before meeting her eyes, “I owe you an apology.”

Lexa’s eyes widened with shock.

“While I believe my actions, in 1702, were justified; I cannot deny that they caused you unimaginable pain.” He felt his heart skip a beat as he thought of someone tearing Elena away from him. “For that I am sorry.”

“How could you possibly justify that?” Lexa whispered harshly. She felt a near overwhelming desire to forgive him, it would certainly be easier, but she needed to know. While she was incredibly stubborn she hated holding grudges.

“I thought I was saving my brother’s life,” Elijah offered her a small smile. “Our father had found us; Niklaus and I feared what he would do. We had spent centuries running from him; he wanted to kill Niklaus – and perhaps the rest of us as well.”

“Right,” Lexa closed her eyes and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. _They had to run, and he refused to leave… because of me._ “I have to go.”

Her hand was twisting the handle of the door when she called back over her shoulder softly, “thank you.”

* * *

 

Elena paced the length of the library; her swift movements threatening to wear a hole in the antique carpet. She blinked back the angry tears that pooled in her eyes. Her head snapped when Elijah stepped back into the library.

“Why would anyone want to hurt a baby?” Her cheeks were stained with crimson, and her eyes blazed with anger, “an innocent baby?”

“I don’t know,” he flashed across the room to take her hands, “power maybe. The baby is part witch.”

“Your mother,” Elena nodded as the memory returned. Unfortunately the meager explanation did nothing for her rage. In the span of three days her life had turned upside down. She was happy about most of it, but still more weighed on her nerves.

“The witches of New Orleans consecrate the bones of their dead;” Elijah explained softly, “the ceremony releases their magic back into the earth to be used by the community.”

A frown wrinkled Elena’s brow, “but a baby…” a white hot rage raced through her veins.

Elijah frowned when her palms grew hot in his hands. He released one of her hands to tilt her chin up and met her glistening eyes.

“No one is going to hurt our child, Elena,” he kissed her forehead and pulled her into a tight hug, “you have my word.”

Elena laid her cheek on his chest. She felt his heart beat: slow, steady, and strong. Her palms cooled off quickly as the rage dissipated.

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” Elena choked out. She sighed when his arms tightened around her back.

* * *

 

Kol parked the car outside Rousseau’s. He left it running at the curb and reached out to stop Lexa from unbuckling her seat belt.

“Why don’t you wait in the car?” Kol suggested gently. “I can check inside for your bag.”

Lexa nodded dazedly and set back against the seat as Kol exited the car. Her eyes followed him into the bar without really seeing. Her mind was still back in the courtyard.

Kol slid into the mass of bodies that made up Rousseau’s evening crowd. He could just make out Camille darting from one end of the bar to the other filling drink orders. He slid between the people clamouring for a space at the bar and signaled Camille.

“Did you happen to find a bag yesterday, darling?” Kol raised his voice to be heard over the din, “its dark blue.”

“Did you lose your purse Kol?” Cami smirked at him across the bar and ignored the impatient huffs of the other patrons.

“I did,” Kol nodded with a tight lipped grin. “I really need to find it to. My favorite lipstick is inside, and it’s been discontinued.”

“That’s a shame,” Cami teased. She reached under the counter and pulled out a bag. “I know how hard it is to find the right shade.” She set the blue material on the bar, “is this it?”

“Yes,” Kol grinned and reached for the bag only to have Cami pull it away.

“Why are you really looking for Lexa’s bag?” She lowered her voice knowing that Kol would still be able to hear her.

“She asked me to get it,” Kol answered. It wasn’t entirely untrue; she had asked him to take her to Rousseau’s for the bag. “Lexa is waiting in the car.”

“She does know what you are, right?” Cami’s eyes widened when Kol nodded. “And she asked you to get her bag?” She held the bag just out of his reach. “Sophie asked me to hang on to this until Lexa showed up for it; she wanted to speak to her.”

“Camille,” Kol held out his hand, “just give me the bag please. I would prefer not to cause a scene.”

“And what do I tell Sophie?” Camille held out the bag for him to take. She had heard of Kol’s outbursts, and definitely didn’t want one happening here.

“That someone stole it?” Kol called back over his shoulder as he left the bar. Two college students pushed into the empty space he vacated.

Lexa startled when he slid back into the car and shut the door. He passed her the bag and directed the car towards her building.

“Are you alright, Elskling?” Kol rounded the final corner and parked the car. “You haven’t said a word since we left the compound. Is something on your mind?”

“Your brother,” Lexa tilted her head to the side and regarded the door to her building, “he apologized… for everything.” She inhaled deeply when he took her hand.

“Elijah,” Kol squeezed her fingers, “Nik rarely apologizes for anything.”

“Unfortunately I don’t know your brother well enough to measure his sincerity.” Lexa’s lips twisted in a half smile and rested her head against the seat.

“Elijah has never said something he didn’t mean,” Kol rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, “if he offered an apology, you can rest assured that, he meant every word of it.”

“That’s good to know,” Lexa smiled. She let out a relieved sigh.

“It is?” Kol regarded her through sceptical eyes. “Are you going to forgive him so easily?”

“Yes,” Lexa sat up straight and met his eyes. “I find hatred to be truly exhausting.” She shook with a silent laugh, “if you hadn’t killed Emiliano I’d have likely been stooped over by the time I was twenty-five; a depleted old crone.”

“Alexandria Ricci,” Kol smiled brightly, “you’d make a stunning crone.”

“I’d be shorter,” she pouted and leaned across the stick shift.

“I suppose it’s a good thing he’s dead then,” Kol winked, “you’re nearly a foot shorter than me as it is, little witch.” He closed the distance between them to give her a quick kiss.

“Eight inches is not a foot,” she huffed when he pulled away.

Kol stepped from the car with a short laugh.

“Did you have any trouble with the bag?”

“Camille wanted to wait for you,” Kol shrugged, “Sophie wanted to speak with you about ‘something’.” He held the door to the building open for her.

“I could have handled Sophie.”

“Not in your preoccupied state.”

“You don’t need to protect me, Kol,” she stopped on the stairs to face him, “I’m a grown woman; I’ve been taking care of myself for centuries now.”

“I know,” he nodded. He had stopped a few steps below so they were eye-level. “I’m always going to try and protect you, though, whenever I can.”

“How chivalrous of you,” she rolled her eyes when he grinned, “I think I can live with that, as long as you realize I don’t actually need it,” she pointed a finger at him in a decisive manner, “I won’t spend eternity being coddled.”

“Understood,” Kol caught her hand and planted a kiss on the back of it.

Lexa stifled her smile and turned leading the way to her second floor apartment. She had taken the key from her bag and inserted it in the lock when she froze. She felt Kol stiffen behind her.

“What is that?” He inhaled deeply the scent of spices that hung in the air over the faint trace of lavender.

“Sophie,” Lexa inhaled the familiar myriad of spices from Rousseau’s kitchen, “she was here.”

She unlocked the door and took a cautious step into the apartment. She tiptoed along the hall and glanced around the small kitchen. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply; there was no sign of another human being. Lexa sighed deeply before turning to invite Kol inside.

“K-,” her eyes flickered from him to the door he was closing, “I didn’t invite you in.”

“No,” Kol secured the lock and walked into the kitchen, “you did not.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, “must be one of the many perks of having a human for a soulmate.”

He listened to the stillness of her apartment. The only sounds that reached his ears was their breathing, and beating hearts.

“Sophie’s not here,” he toyed with the hem of her blouse, “at least not anymore.” He grinned down at her and waggled his eyebrows, “how about a tour?”

“While I would love to give you a thorough tour of my tiny apartment,” Lexa smirked and adjusted his collar, “we don’t have time. I told Elijah I’d return to the compound,” she giggled when he pouted, “Apparently your other brother and Caroline need me for something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will probably be up this weekend. Perhaps even tomorrow (if it's a snowday)
> 
> I love reviews.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the usual disclaimers. I own nothing from TO or TVD.  
> It's a snow day, so that means a new chapter.  
> Leave a comment and let me know what you think of some of the twists in this chapter.

Elijah had maneuvered Elena onto the couch. He held her and they set in silence for a while. He had wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her to his chest. Her body, which had been shaking with sobs, grew suddenly still.

She flattened her hand against his chest. Her fingers brushed over a wet stain on his shirt. Elena blinked back a fresh wave of tears and fixed her gaze on a bookshelf.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. She couldn’t figure out how Elijah could put up with her emotional roller coaster.

“Whatever for?” His chest rumbled against her cheek, and his arm tightened around her.

“I’m just-,” she stammered, “I’m a mess…I’m all over the place.” She closed her eyes and swallowed a lump in her throat. “I didn’t mean to imply that –“

She was cut off by his hand drawing her chin up to face him.

“You have every right to be upset, Elena,” he held her teary gaze; “anyone would be overwhelmed. I would be more concerned if you weren’t; especially after what you’ve been through.”

“I didn’t mean that you couldn’t protect the baby, it’s just…” she drew in a shaky breath, “… anything can happen … and…”

“I have no intention of breaking my word,” Elijah cupped her cheek and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. “I am going to do everything I can to keep you and our child safe, Elena.”

“I know you will,” Elena held his hand to her cheek. Her eyes drifted shut. “I just… I feel kind of helpless.” Her dark eyes focused on him. “Aside from rapid healing I am virtually defenseless, and I hate that feeling. I want to be able to protect myself.” She shifted back against the couch with a sigh, “but what can I possibly do against witches?”

Elijah wanted to reassure her, but he knew she was right.

“We will figure something out.”

Elena shook her head slowly; he was just as concerned as she was.

“How are you so calm?” She turned her head to look at him.

“I’m not,” he offered her a small smile, “but I figure only one of us should panic at a time.”

“I get today, so you get tomorrow?” Elena giggled. Her eyes fell to his shirt as she laughed, “I got your shirt wet.”

“It will dry,” he chuckled and kissed the side of her head.

“Thank you,” Elena sighed when the laughter subsided.

“For what?” Elijah gently tucked her hair behind her ears.

“For putting up with my mood swings,” she laughed when he moved to protest, “don’t say I haven’t had any. I know I’ve been all over the map the last 48 hours; thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Elijah smiled. “It’s the least that I can do. I’ll gladly take any mood swing that comes my way, as long as do the actual carrying and pushing a child from your body.”

“That sounds like a fair trade,” she smiled as she stood up, “but I reserve the right to change my mind when I’m doing the actual pushing. I’ve heard it’s quite painful.”

“At which point I will apologize profusely, while offering encouragement.” He followed her as she glided across the courtyard to the kitchen.

“And I will curse the ground you walk on,” she teased while grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. She made sure not to allow her gaze to linger on the blood bags.

“It’s a date,” he smirked where he leaned against the counter.

“Pick me up in August?” She twisted the cap from the bottle and took a drink. The smile dropped from her face when she heard the squeal of brakes followed by a loud crash in the street. “What was that?”

Elena was already moving in the direction of the sound.

She and Elijah froze outside the front door and took in the scene.

The front end of Elena’s car had collided with the passenger’s side of Kol’s sports car. Metal twisted around metal in a macabre still life.

Elena watched in stunned silence as Klaus emerged from the driver’s side of her car with blood dripping from his nose. Caroline stumbled out of the other side and wrenched open the back door as Klaus surveyed the damage.

Kol was stretching across the console checking on Lexa; her body was still.

Elena and Elijah moved when they realized Lexa was not. He ran around the side of the cars to help Klaus move Elena’s vehicle while Elena opened Kol’s door.

The panic in his voice reached Elena’s ears when she touched his shoulder. He let out a relieved sigh when Lexa coughed. She grimaced as her wounds started to heal, and allowed Elijah to help her from the seat. Kol climbed out of the car and hurried around to pull Lexa into his arms.

Elena sighed and followed Caroline’s loud cursing to the back of her car. She approached the wreckage to see Caroline pulling Bonnie from the back seat.

“What happened?” Elena voice came out in a shrill cry. She followed Caroline as she carried Bonnie’s unconscious body into the living room in the compound.

“I’d like an explanation,” Lexa grumbled at Kol to put her down. “First Klaus calls me here and then he hits me with a car. Kol,” she groaned when he bent to examine the blood on her face, “I’m fine, mi amor, already healed.”

“Nothing hurts?” Kol ran his hands down her arms and looked her over. He let out a breath as she nodded.

“Nik?” Kol turned to his brother for an explanation.

“Why is Bonnie here?” Elena watched as Caroline force blood down Bonnie’s throat. Bonnie slowly started to come to.

“She’s causing accidents,” Klaus muttered. He wiped the blood from his face with a handkerchief from Elijah.

“Miss Bennet caused the crash?” Elijah arched an eyebrow. “Forgive me Niklaus, but it appeared as if you were driving.”

“He was,” Caroline jumped in when Bonnie’s eyes popped open, “until Bonnie gave him an aneurysm.”

“Why would you do that?” Elena addressed Bonnie.

“I did it,” Bonnie clenched her hands into fists on the edge of the sofa, “because he drugged and kidnapped me.”

“She wouldn’t come quietly,” Klaus smirked.

“That stunt you pulled could have killed Lexa!” Kol glared at Bonnie.

“A car crash can’t kill a vampire,” Bonnie rolled her eyes.

“Lexa is a witch, Miss Bennet,” Elijah placed a hand on Kol’s arm to hold him back.

“She can’t be,” Bonnie scoffed, “she’s immortal. I can sense that from here.”

“Let’s put my living situation on the back burner,” Lexa sighed and dropped onto one of the love seat being mindful of her bloodstained clothes. Kol sat beside her. “Why is she here?”

“Caroline is convinced she has been compelled,” Klaus pressed his lips together and fixed a drink.

Lexa’s eyes cut to Caroline. She accepted a glass of water from Kol while Caroline explained over Bonnie’s protests that it wasn’t true.

“I think someone compelled her to kill the baby.”

Wouldn’t I know if I had been compelled?” Bonnie huffed. “I told her why the baby needed to die; it goes against nature.”

Elena felt a vein start to throb in her neck. She clenched her hands into fists as her palms grew hot. Elena took a wide stance as Elijah moved to stand beside her and placed a hand on her back.

“That’s not true,” Lexa’s calm voice filled the room. Elena watched her matted curls as she shook her head and met Bonnie’s eyes. “Nature would not have allowed her to conceive if that were the case; trust sweetie… I’ve been around a long time.”

Lexa sipped her water and fixed Klaus with a heavy stare.

“You want me to remove the compulsion.” Lexa drained her glass and set it on the table.

“Can you?” Elijah slowly stroked Elena’s back.

“Yes,” she glanced at him over her shoulder, “I can.” Her gaze found its way back to Bonne before settling on Caroline. “It’s a very painful process, though. If she hasn’t been compelled then you’ve brought another enemy into the city.” Lexa released a deep sigh. “How sure are you?”

“I’m positive.”

Green eyes clashed in a heated staring contest.

“Okay,” Lexa nodded after a moment of tense silence. She rose to her feet and walked the short distance to Bonnie. She placed her hands on either side of Bonnie’s head and started chanting.

For a moment nothing happened, but then Bonnie screwed her eyes tightly shut and clenched her jaw. A scream caught in her throat as her face contorted in agony.

Suddenly it stopped. Bonnie slumped forward on the sofa and gasped for breath.

“Still convinced you haven’t been compelled?” Lexa stepped back and perched on the coffee table.

“That hurt,” Bonnie drew in quick shallow breaths, “but, yeah, I was compelled.”

“Who did it?” Elena’s hands gripped the back of the loveseat behind Kol’s head. Her anger was coming to a head, and she needed to know who to direct it at. “What vampire compelled you?”

Bonnie met Elena’s hardened gaze. She took a deep breath before answering.

“Damon.”

Kol yelped as the fabric behind his head caught fire. He jumped up and rubbed the burn on the back of his neck.

Elijah quickly pulled Elena back from the small fire, but the heat followed. She flipped her hands over and stared at the flames dancing across her palms; they extinguished as she clenched her hands into fists.

* * *

 

Sabine strode across the street to stand a few feet in front of the young vampire in the black leather jacket.

“You’ll be dead in a minute,” she warned when she caught his eyes. “I see that look in your eye; you’re thinking of storming the castle to rescue the fair maiden.” She smiled when he rolled his eyes. “She doesn’t need rescuing.”

“Who are you?”

“You want the girl, and I want to destroy the Original that fathered her child.” She smirked as she offered him her hand. “I am your new best friend, Mr. Salvatore,” she smiled when he took her hand, “call me Celeste.”

* * *

 

“Let’s make sure I’ve got this straight,” Bonnie paced the length of the courtyard. “The witches of the city want to kill your baby, but they don’t know that you know.” She motioned between Elena and Elijah, “you two are soulmates, and so are you,” she pointed to Kol and Lexa, “and that is why she is immortal. Did I leave anything out?”

“Damon thinks Klaus and I are sleeping together,” Caroline offered with a shrug. “And Elena and I will be attending Tulane.”

“How did Damon find out she was pregnant?” Elijah watched Elena carefully.

“He compelled me to tell him the truth,” Bonnie ran her fingers through her hair, “and I told him. He’s grown more and more obsessed over the years.”

Elena looked up from where she had been staring at her hands. She had spent the last 20 minutes slowly opening and closing her fists; watching for any sign of flames. Her eyes were wide when she addressed Bonnie in a shaky voice.

“He doesn’t know where I am right?”

“I don’t think so,” Bonnie shook her head. “And what was up with your hands?”

“I don’t know,” she rocked forward to place her head in her hands.

“What are you Elena?” Lexa crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re not human… at least not completely.”

“I’m a doppelganger,” Elena narrowed her eyes, “why? Do you think that has something to do with what just happened?”

“I don’t know,” Lexa shook her head, “what precisely is a doppelganger?”

“A supernatural occurrence,” Klaus explained, “they are powerful, mystical, naturally occurring…”

“And they stem from?” Lexa nodded quickly and tapped her fingers against her arm.

“The Petrova family,” Rebekah strolled in through the open door. She eyed Lexa critically, “what happened to you lot?”

“Car crash,” Kol glanced at her, “where’ve you been?”

“Out,” she smacked the back of his head when he called her a strumpet.

“Petrova?” Lexa stiffened. “That wouldn’t be the Bulgarian Petrova’s would it?”

“Yeah,” Elena nodded. She heard Katherine’s voice echo across her memory: _you have the Petrova fire…_ “Why?”

“Those Petrova’s are travellers,” Lexa explained, “a race of witches, cursed witches.”

“Cursed how?” Elena stood from the stairs with narrow eyes.

“They can’t practice traditional forms of magic,” Lexa met Elena’s bewildered gaze. “They can only draw on their own personal power, rather than that of nature, and they can’t gather or channel each other.” Her eyes dropped to Elena’s hands, “I’ve never known a traveller to do something like that, but being a doppelganger might make you more powerful than the average traveller.”

“I’m a witch?”

“Most would hasten to make the distinction,” Lexa laughed, “but yes.”

“Can you teach me?” Elena asked. “I should probably learn how to control this,” she waved her hands, “before I set something else on fire.”

Lexa hesitated. All she knew of traveller magic had just been laid bare, and she was unsure if she could help Elena in any real way.

“I can try.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO  
> There is a time jump at the beginning of this chapter. Don't worry our villains are coming back, I just thought they could all use some peace. So have some shameless fluff.

Elena sighed deeply. She closed her eyes and rolled her neck back and around. She grimaced when she felt a knot forming in her shoulder. Sighing again she opened her eyes. Elena capped her highlighter and dropped it into her pencil case on the bed. Her hands moved to grab one of the history textbooks.

She opened the book and rested against the bump that she could no longer hide beneath her clothes. She let go of the book to grab another highlighter and smiled when it stayed in place.

“Well,” Elijah chuckled from the door, “that’s one way to do it.”

“I have a built in table,” Elena giggled.

Elijah smiled and carefully moved her books and papers aside to sit beside her.

“How was your lesson?” He took the highlighter from her hand and glanced at the book.

“Unproductive,” Elena closed the book after marking her page, “and productive at the same time.” She rested a hand on her bump and turned her head to meet his gaze.

“Kol found some grimoires that belonged to travellers,” Elena explained, “or the traveller equivalent of a grimoire. And I’ve learnt a few spells, but neither Kol or Lexa have any idea how I set that fire.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Elijah sat up and placed his hand over hers. “What spells have you learned?”

Elena hummed contentedly and rested her head back against the headboard.

“A few boundary spells. Nothing overly strong, but enough to keep someone in or out in pinch,” she stifled a giggle. “I also learned the spell that gives a vampire an aneurysm. Kol became an unwitting participant in that – I don’t want to know what he did to piss off Lexa enough for her to show me, or maybe she just wanted me to know – apparently I can rival any witch with it though.”

“How did Kol take it?”

“He laughed it off; once the pain subsided. That’s when the lesson ended.”

“So you decided to study instead?” He picked up a sheet of loose paper covering in notes on the history of the city. He opened his mouth to say something.

“Don’t you dare!” Elena poked his chest with her book.

“What?”

“I can see that look in your eyes,” her palms grew warm against the cover of her book, “I have a test tomorrow, and you were about to start correcting my notes… and probably the textbook as well.”

“I was not…” Elijah broke down under her burning glare, “… alright I was.” He raised his hands defensively.

“Just let me study in peace,” Elena shook her head quickly and held out her hand for her notes.

Elijah nodded once. He wordlessly handed her the papers and left the room.

Elena sighed and spent the next few hours studying. She tidied up her notes and books when her brain stopped taking in information. The baby also chose that particular moment to demand food.

“Elena,” Elijah greeted when she walked into the kitchen.

“Elijah,” she smiled apologetically, “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

“I’m sorry for correcting your textbooks,” he finished plating the food he had been cooking.

“You didn’t actu…” Elena’s mouth watered when he set the plates down on the table. “Did you make dinner?”

“Yes, I did,” Elijah smiled and pulled out her chair, “I was just about to go get you.”

“Thank you,” Elena took a seat and looked over the table. Everything smelled amazing, but she was quick to notice the lack of something, “No blood tonight?”

“I had some earlier,” he sat across from her and smiled, “I know it’s been making you sick.”

“That was sweet of you,” she took a sip of her water. He had been very attentive. Truth be told she had sorted out her emotions weeks ago, but she had yet to vocalize them. Every thoughtful thing he did for her made her want to tell him; and there were many.

“I think I might be alright now though. My morning sickness seems to be passing, at least as far as blood is concerned.” She remembered the nosebleed she had given Kol, and while the sight of blood had made her hungry it had not made her sick.

“That’s wonderful,” Elijah smiled when she took a bite of her chicken.

“Yes, the prohibition’s over,” she remarked drily, “it’s been terribly inconvenient in a house full of vampires.”

“That’s not what I meant Elena,” Elijah frowned and set down his fork.

“I know,” she reached for his hand, “I was only joking.” They lapsed into comfortable silence as they finished eating.

“You know you don’t have to do the dishes Elena.” Elijah followed her to the sink. He kissed her cheek.

“You made dinner,” she peeked up at him through her lashes, “so I’ll do the dishes.”

“At least let me help,” Elijah took up a towel and started to dry the dishes as she washed them.

“Elijah?” She passed him a clean glass, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he finished drying the last of the dishes. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist to rest his hands on her belly, “both of you.” He laid a kiss against her temple.

“What time is the ultrasound tomorrow?”

“3:00,” Elena thought for a moment. “I have two classes in the morning and one test. Then Caroline and I are going for lunch, so I should be back here around 2:00.”

“It will take about 15 minutes to drive to the hospital, so we should leave around 2:30 just to be safe.”

“That leaves me 30 minutes to find something that fits,” Elena smirked, “barely anything fits anymore.”

“Terribly sorry about that,” Elijah rubbed her protruding stomach, “you can add it to the list of things you blame me for.”

“It’s a very short list,” Elena giggled, “and I don’t mind. This gives me the perfect excuse for a girl’s day out. I’ve already asked Caroline and Lexa, and I thought I’d ask Rebekah to join us as well.”

“Have you set a date for this excursion?” Elijah turned her around to face him, and rested his hands on her waist.

“My dwindling wardrobe demands it be soon,” Elena wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, “tentative plans have been made for Saturday.” She arched an eyebrow and raised her chin.

“What?”

“I was just waiting for you to object to me going into the city.”

“Why would I object?” Elijah’s eyes narrowed.

“The last time I left the compound alone, you followed me to the coffee shop,” she teased lightly. “And you have Kol following me to any class I don’t share with Caroline. I don’t think I’ve been truly alone since I left Whitmore.”

“I’m only trying to protect you,” Elijah’s arms looped around her back, “Kol blends in on the campus.”

“I know,” she laughed, “but it is a little over the top, since I am fully capable of taking care of myself. Just don’t have me sealed in the house.”

“Why do I sense that there is a story there?”

“Salvatore’s.”

“Say no more,” Elijah rolled his eyes. _Did those two really seal her in her house?_ “I promise I will never have you sealed in the house, and I will try to dial it back a bit.” He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose.

“That’s all I ask,” Elena smiled. She tipped her chin up to brush her lips against his, “so no objections?”

“No,” he grinned down at her, “no objections.”

“So I’m not going to turn around and see you following us at some point?”

“I can’t guarantee we won’t cross paths at some point during the day.”

“Elijah -,” Elena’s laughter was cut off when he pressed his mouth against hers in a kiss that left her breathless. She gave a breathy moan when his lips pressed against her collarbone, “you said you’d dial it back…”

“Baby steps, my dear.”

His hands wandered up her back to tangle in her hair. He cupped the back of her neck and drew her mouth to his in a kiss. “Baby steps,” he mumbled against her lips.

“How many times do I have to tell you two not in the kitchen?” Kol called from the door. Lexa stood beside him; her left hand encased in his right.

“At least they’re fully clothed this time,” she giggled.

Elena sighed and rolled her eyes. She grabbed Elijah’s hand and led him out and up the stairs.

* * *

 

Lexa turned the final page of the grimoire; it was yellow with the stain of time. She grimaced when the paper crinkled in her hands. The corner of the page broke off and turned to dust between her thumb and forefinger. She slowly closed the grimoire and set it aside; there was nothing useful inside anyway.

She threw her head back against the arm of the daybed with a dramatic sigh. She lifted her feet and stretched her legs out across Kol’s lap. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath before tipping her head down to look at him. He had lifted his arms when she had moved and was now using her bare legs as a makeshift table for his own grimoire. The old leather was smooth against her skin.

“Are you having any luck?” Lexa kicked her feet gently causing the book to bounce.

“No,” Kol sighed. He grabbed her feet to still the movement and dropped his book lightly on the floor. “Judging by your dramatics you have yet to find anything either.”

Her blond curls flew around as she shook her head. She pushed the hair behind her ears and sat up straight leaving her legs across his lap. Her lips pressed together in a firm line as her eyes darted around the interior of the playhouse. They had spent weeks going through anything and everything that might give them an answer to no avail.

“You would think,” Lexa fidgeted with the fingers on her right hand, “that you would have come across something like this before; you have been alive long enough.”

“Are you calling me old, little witch?” Kol’s fingers trailed up her leg to her knee. “I have never met another person who could start a fire with their bare hands, at least not without the use of a spell.”

“Kol?” Lexa lifted her eyes to meet his. She chewed on her bottom lip as a thought that had been plaguing her fought its way to the surface. “What if it’s not a traveller thing? What if it’s a Petrova thing? What if what Elena can do is unique to her family?”

“If that is the case then we would need the Petrova books, if they exist,” Kol glanced around the room at the piles of discarded grimoires.

“Or a member of her family,” Lexa tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.

“It’s just Elena and her brother.”

“Then we’ve reached a dead end,” Lexa fell back against the daybed in defeat, and laid her arm across her eyes.

“Well,” Kol ran his hand back down her leg to rest on her feet, “since we’ve exhausted the subject for now, how about we move on to another one?”

“What did you want to talk about?” She let her arm fall away from her eyes.

“Your bracelet,” Kol started. He stopped when she popped back up.

“You’ve changed your mind,” Lexa held her breath when he furrowed his brow.

“What?” Kol leaned back in surprise before rushing to reassure her. “No, Lexa,” he gently cupped her cheeks, “no, little witch I have not changed my mind.”

“Are you sure?” Lexa frowned. Her eyes searched his for answers; the seeds of doubt had been planted in her mind. “You lived a thousand years not even thinking it was a possibility… I don’t want you to regret anything later.”

“I always wanted a family, Lexa,” Kol peered into her green eyes. “When I was human I had this clear idea in my head. I’d fall in love and get married, and then we would have a gaggle of little witches and warlocks.”

“You love being a witch, don’t you?” Lexa smiled at the light that had entered his eyes.

“I do,” Kol grinned broadly, “and I loved it then. I loved being connected to nature. I loved the power. I loved the rush…” the smile fell from his face. “Then we turned. I lost everything, went through a bit of a dark period where I gave up on everything.”

Lexa’s hands slowly brought his face around to look at her. His eyes had grown distant as he was lost to the memories.

“I knew neither love nor piece,” he refocused his attention on her, “not for seven hundred years. And then I met you… and lost you… and found you again. You’ve changed me, Elskling, you’ve given me hope for a future I thought I had lost.”

Lexa felt a grin spreading across her cheeks, “Really?”

“Alexandria Ricci,” Kol wrapped his arms around her waist and stared into her eyes, “I would gladly have a dozen children with you.”

“Maybe we should just start with one,” Lexa laughed when he kissed her cheek. She wrapped one arm around his neck, and rested the other hand on his chest, “why did you bring up my bracelet?”

“I was going to suggest we try and make something like it for Elena,” Kol’s hands trailed up and down her spine, “so that she has control after the baby comes.”

“I think we can manage that,” Lexa straightened her back when his fingers reached the base of her spine, “later, though.”

Her lips brushed against his jaw while her right hand slid down his chest and settled on his belt. She pulled back with a frown when he stilled her fingers.

“What happened to your aversion to cemeteries?” Kol smirked.

“The playhouse doesn’t feel like a cemetery,” Lexa tried again to undo his belt. Some lingering doubt returned to her mind when he stilled her hand again. “Have you suddenly developed an aversion to cemeteries?”

“No,” Kol assured her, “I told you I want children with you: anywhere and everywhere,” he wiggled his eyebrows. “There is just one thing I would like to do first.”

“And what is that?” Lexa gasped when he moved at vampire speed. He turned her around and knelt in front of her. Lexa looked at him with arched eyebrows. “I’m fairly certain this is a precursor to making a baby.”

“Madame,” Kol feigned shock and pointed an accusing finger at her. “You’ve got a singularly dirty mind; I’ll not be used for my body.”

“Please,” Lexa scoffed and stifled her giggle, “you’ll gladly be used for your body, mi amor.”

“Fine, I admit defeat, you are correct, I will happily be used. I’ll even take great pleasure in it,” he tilted his head back and winked at her as his hand slipped into his pocket. “That’s not what I’m doing right now, though.”

“Then what are you d-,”

Lexa trailed off when she saw what he held in his hand. Her eyes widened comically as she took in the ring. Three square cut emeralds sat side by side on a silver band; the center one was surrounded by tiny diamonds. She felt her breath catch in her throat when she looked up into his smiling eyes.

“I love you, Lexa, and I have every intention of spending the rest of my absurdly long life by your side, as your husband, if you’ll have me. Will you marry me?” Kol’s dark brown eyes met her glistening green ones; he thought they were the same colour as the stones in the ring. He shifted on his knee when she didn’t answer right away. “Lexa?”

“Yes,” she leaned forward to kiss him. “Yes,” she laughed through the tears that spilled over her cheeks, “I’ll marry you.”

He slipped the ring onto her finger; it was a perfect fit.

“I don’t suppose you had time frame in mind for this?” Lexa teased and wiped a tear from her face.

“As soon as possible,” Kol left a lingering kiss on her forehead.

“Come on, then,” Lexa tugged him to his feet and dragged him towards the door. She only paused to grab her coat and purse.

“What happened to the baby making?” Kol wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked.

“You said you wanted to get married first,” Lexa teased.

“Are you saying no sex until after the wedding?” He squeezed her hip playfully.

“That would be very traditional of me,” Lexa wrapped her arm around his back, “what would you do if I said yes.”

“Elope,” he teased, “marry you tomorrow.”

“As fun as that sounds, I don’t think your sister would forgive me. Plus, you are crazy if you think I can make it more than 24 hours without you,” she stretched up on her toes to give him a chaste kiss.

Kol chuckled and opened the car door for her.

* * *

 

Klaus shifted from foot to foot. He twirled his daylight ring around his finger absentmindedly. Everyone else had gone to their respective bedrooms, and yet here he stood outside her door. Klaus steeled his resolve and knocked on the door.

A soft voice called from within telling him the door was open and to come inside. He stepped quietly inside to see Caroline stretched out on the bed with a novel; he chuckled when he saw the cover.

“I thought you were one of the girls,” Caroline scrambled to hide her book under the pillows. She looked up with wide eyes when it was hidden; she could tell it was too late by the mirth in his glittering eyes.

“Twilight, love?” Klaus smirked from the foot of the bed. “Is that your guilty pleasure?”

Caroline rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“What do you want?”

“I thought we could talk,” Klaus shrugged and sat on the edge of her bed, “about why you’ve been avoiding me.”

“I have not been avoiding you!” Caroline looked away to focus on the bedspread, “we’re in the same house.” A blush crept into her cheeks.

“You have been,” Klaus insisted, “you haven’t spent a single moment alone with me in six weeks, not since we left Whitmore.”

Caroline shrugged and didn’t meet his eyes. She knew he was right. Caroline had made a point to avoid being alone with him. She would only stay in the same room as him if there was someone else there, and if they left she would hasten from the room.

She was afraid she would do something like jump his bones, and if she were being honest she was more afraid she wouldn’t regret it. It was like whenever she was with him all she could think about was his mouth on hers, and his hands wandering her skin. It was very clear at this point that she was attracted to him, and it was not just for his body.

“It hasn’t been that long,” Caroline denied. She sat up straight and crossed her legs.

“It has been six weeks since you kissed me in your dorm.”

“I seem to recall you pinning me to the door.” A warmth spread through her abdomen when she remembered how he had felt standing between her thighs.

“Only after you kissed me,” Klaus leaned forward so that his breath fanned across her face.

Caroline’s eyes flicked between his mouth and his eyes before settling on his shoulder.

“Why are you avoiding me love?”

“I was afraid,” she admitted. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Of me?” Klaus’ eyes widened in shock.

“No,” Caroline shook her head and met his eyes, “I was afraid of me.”

Caroline watched his brilliant blue eyes narrow in confusion. The movement drew his brows down in an adorable expression. Caroline’s fingers twitched with the urge to smooth over his expression.

“I don’t understand…”

Klaus’s eyes widened when her lips crashed against his. He hesitated for only a moment before kissing her with abandon. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers with a broad grin.

“I was afraid of doing something like that,” she panted trying to regain her breath. “Whenever I’m around you, I get this uncontrollable urge to…”

“Kiss me?”

“Amongst other things,” Caroline frowned. She decided to just go for it, and she used a phrase he had said to her all those years ago, “I fancy you, Klaus, but I can’t think when I’m around you… I lose all control… and that scares me.”

“Perhaps you’re overthinking it,” Klaus suggested. “I fancy you, and you like me too, that seems so simple. Would it be so terrible to lose control?”

“I don’t want to rush into anything,” Caroline murmured.

“Then how about we take things at your pace,” he smiled slowly, “it’s not as though we don’t have time.”

“And what if it takes a century?”

“Nothing but time, love,” Klaus smirked, “although I hope it doesn’t take that long.”

“I’m not going to make any promises,” she teased.

“Perhaps you could make one,” Klaus tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Caroline felt a shiver travel down her spine when he touched her.

“That would depend on what it is,” she arched an eyebrow.

“A date,” Klaus sat back on the bed and trailed his fingers down her cheek. “Will you go to dinner with me, Saturday night?”

Caroline leaned forward to brush her lips against his.

“Yes,” she breathed against his lips. She kissed him firmly before planting her hands on his chest. “Now you need to leave before I take this too far.”

Klaus grasped the back of her neck and kissed her passionately. His other hand trailed around her back leaving heat in his wake. She gasped when his tongue slipped into her mouth and a pang of desire made her abdomen clench. He pulled back after a few minutes of kissing that left her breathless.

“Goodnight, Caroline,” Klaus whispered before flashing from the room. He grinned when he heard her fall back against the mattress with a groan. A moment later the groan was echoed by a soft moan and the unmistakable sound of her fingers sliding around her clit with a wet sound.

He leaned his head against her door before heading to take a cold shower.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.  
> There is some smut in this chapter you have been warned.

_Light filtered through the thin lace curtains. A midsummer breeze passed through the window making the gauzy material dance towards the centre of the room. Elena was standing close enough to the material, but she could not feel it against her skin._

_The faint sound of splashing drew Elena’s attention to the tub in the centre of the room. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the naked woman._

_Her dark skin glistened with water droplets. Her curls were piled loosely on top of her head. A secretive smile toyed with the corners of her mouth._

_After a moment of calling out Elena had to assume that the woman was unable to see her._

_The smile suddenly bloomed across her face. Elena thought the woman must have been having her on until she tossed a sponge over Elena’s head._

_Elena’s eyes followed the arch of the sponge as it sailed through the air to land in someone’s hand. He stepped from the shadows. Elena gasped when she recognized Elijah. His dark hair was combed back, but a few strands had fallen across his brow. There was a playful look in his eyes; a look she had only ever seen directed at her._

_Jealousy flared in her chest when she realized he was not looking at her; he couldn’t even see her._

_She watched in resignation as he perched on the edge of the tub. She could see his mouth moving, but no sound reached her ears. He ran his hand down the leg the woman had extended from the tub. Elena looked away when his hand vanished beneath the water._

_A blush spread across her face when she snuck another peak. His other hand had grasped the back of the woman’s neck. He had lifted her partway from the tub to trade playful kisses._

_A single word echoed in her ears when he broke contact with the woman. It was barely more than a breath of air in the still room._

_“Celeste.”_

* * *

Elena’s eyes snapped open. It took her a moment to remember where she was, and what had set her heart on edge. Snippets of the dream returned slowly. She felt her expression turn sour when she remembered the way he had looked at another woman, the kisses he had shared with another woman.

Elijah’s arm snaked around her waist when he sensed her unease. He pulled her against him so that her back was pressed firmly against every well-defined inch of him.

“Elijah?” Elena whispered into the darkness.

She felt his chest expanding with even breaths. He didn’t respond to her soft call, but his arm did tighten around her waist.

_Just a dream,_ Elena sighed. Her eyes drifted shut. The name of the woman faded into the recesses of her mind.

* * *

 

“How did your test go?” Caroline took a sip of her water when the waitress dropped off their food.

“I think I passed it,” Elena smiled around a mouthful of lasagna.

“Awesome,” Caroline nodded. “Do you want to talk about what’s been bugging you?”

Elena held her water in front of her mouth. Her gaze fixated on the rainbow pattern the glass left on her skin.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she shrugged.

“Elena,” Caroline crossed her arms and lent on the table, “we’ve known each other since we were kids… I know your tells, and I know for a fact,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “that you are pissed off at Elijah.”

Elena’s eyes widened as she sat down her drink. She started to shake her head when Caroline continued.

“He might have dismissed your attitude this morning as test anxiety, like you said, but I know better.” Caroline flattened her palms against the table. “Tell me what he did; I’ll kick his ass.”

“Caroline-“

“No, Elena,” she shook her head vehemently, “don’t you dare defend whatever it is he did. I’m not going to let him get away with upsetting you. Now tell me what he did.”

“Nothing,” Elena swore. She held Caroline’s gaze, “I had a weirdly vivid dream; that’s all.”

“So he didn’t do anything?” Caroline regarded her friend narrow eyes. “What happened in the dream?”

“I was,” Elena leaned back in her chair and chewed her lip, “an observer… I can’t think of another way to say it. I couldn’t hear anything, but I could see Elijah.”

“What was he doing?” Caroline took a large bite of her salad.

“It looked like there was some heavy… flirting going on,” she whispered before taking a bite of her lunch, “among other things.”

“I’m assuming it was another woman,” Caroline tilted her head as she chewed, “you wouldn’t be this upset if he was flirting with you.”

“Yes, it was another woman.” Elena nodded. “He flirted with her, and he kissed her. I guess it just made me a little jealous and angry… and a tad… insecure.”

Caroline stifled her laugh. Elena would normally have shaken off such a dream as her wild imagination. Caroline thought the hormones must be getting to her because Elena had no tangible reason to feel like that.

“Have you told Elijah?”

Elena shook her head and fixed her gaze on the table.

“Maybe you should,” Caroline suggested. “Why did it make you feel insecure?”

“Because,” Elena hesitated. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply before covering her face with her hands. “Because this woman was… hot… smoking hot,” she groaned and raked her fingers back through her hair, “and I’m slowly turning into a beached whale.”

“Elena Gilbert!”

Her head snapped up when Caroline slapped her hands down on the table causing the silverware to rattle. Several head snapped in their direction.

“You have absolutely nothing to be insecure about. Do you hear me?” Caroline took Elena’s hands tightly in her own. “You are drop dead gorgeous! And I know Elijah thinks so; I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“How?”

“Like you are the only woman in the world,” Caroline smiled. “You’re just feeling a little insecure because your body is changing. If anything I think that it’s making him love you more; you’re giving him something no one else can.”

Elena nodded and stood to pull on her jacket.

“Tell him what’s going on Elena,” Caroline urged as they were getting in her car. “I’m sure he’ll tell you what I just did, maybe even with fewer words.” Caroline wiggled her eyebrows making Elena giggle.

“Caroline!” Elena blushed.

“What?” Caroline shrugged as they turned into the quarter. “You live in a house full of vampires, we can hear you.” She glanced over thoughtfully and chewed on her lower lip. “Elena?”

“Yes, Care,” Elena shifted in her seat. She glanced at Caroline to see a small flush creeping up her neck.

“What’s it like?” Caroline’s hands tapped out a rhythm on the steering wheel.

“What’s what like?” Elena brow furrowed, “being pregnant? That’s an emotional roller coaster.” Her hands caressed the bump hidden behind an old t-shirt of Jeremy’s that she had stolen years ago.

“I see a bit of that every day,” Caroline laughed. “I meant the sex. What’s sex with an Original like? We haven’t really had the girl talk yet.”

“Oh,” Elena unbuckled when Caroline pulled into her parking spot outside the Abattoir. She laid her head back against the seat and chewed her bottom lip, “wonderful… amazing… mind blowing.” Her eyes glazed over as she thought of the previous night’s activities; she felt a small twinge of desire when she remembered how positively sinful his tongue was.

“That good huh,” Caroline giggled when she saw the flush take over her face. She left the engine running and turned on the radio to drown out their voices.

“Mmmhmmm,” Elena giggled and turned to Caroline, “Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” her eyes darted around the interior of the car.

“Care?” Elena tilted her head, “you have a tell to.”

“Klaus asked me out,” Caroline whispered, “for tomorrow night.”

“What?” Elena braced her hands on the console.

“Not so loud!” Caroline covered Elena’s mouth with one hand.

“You said yes,” Elena’s eyes grew wide as a grin spread across her face. “Why’d you wait so long to tell me?”

“He just asked me last night.”

“That doesn’t leave us much time to find the perfect outfit,” Elena started running over the many possibilities in her head. “It’s a good thing we’re going shopping tomorrow. Do you know where he’s taking you?”

“Hold up,” Caroline interjected, “you’re not mad? You’re not going to say I’m making a huge mistake? You’re not going to sneak Bonnie out of the coven for a freintervention?”

“Why would I?” Elena shrugged. “I love you, and Klaus has grown on me… I think you two are… kind of perfect for each other.”

* * *

 

Elena tossed her last top over her shoulder. She ran her hands through her short hair and held them on the back of her neck. Her head slumped forward in frustration. She and Elijah were meant to leave in 20 minutes and none of her clothes fit. At this rate she was going to wind up going to the hospital in her underwear.

She sighed and picked up a loose red blouse to try on. The material would not go down over her stomach. She ripped off the shirt and dropped it before flopping on the bed. She briefly considered just putting on the same clothes she had worn to the school, but the thought of showing up to the doctor in pajama bottoms and an oversized t-shirt was mortifying.

She heard a giggle float through the walls. A sudden thought struck her. She jumped to her feet and wrapped her bathrobe around her shoulders before striding down the hall.

“Elena?”

“Elijah,” she called down over the railing, “I’ll be right down.” She didn’t look behind her but made her way down one of the side halls to knock on a door.

“Yes?” Lexa opened the door.

“Hi,” Elena blushed when she saw the dishevelled appearance of Lexa, “I was wondering if I could borrow a dress?”

“Can’t find anything that fits?” Lexa smiled slightly and opened the door wider to let Elena in.

“No,” Elena shook her head as she stepping inside and watched Lexa move to the closet, “and I refuse to go to the doctor in pajamas.”

“Leggings wouldn’t fit either?” Lexa pulled a dark red dress from the closet.

“They did, but that raised the whole question of a shirt,” Elena laughed, “you should see the bedroom floor.”

“Are you going to acknowledge me at all darling?” Kol sat propped against the pillows with his arms behind his head.

“Hi Kol,” Elena accepted the material from Lexa and gave him a short nod.

“So cold,” Kol smirked as she left with a mumbled thanks to Lexa.

“I thought your shirt was only half undone when I stood up,” Lexa pointed to his bare chest.

“Just cutting a few corners, my little witch,” he grabbed her arm and gently tugged her so she fell across his lap.

* * *

 

“Okay,” Elena sighed. She hurried down the last few stairs into the garage. “I’m officially at the point where nothing fits, so I had to borrow something from Lexa. It is too tight across the bodice, and because of our height difference the skirt is extremely short… Elijah?”

Elena glanced up from where she had been attempting to pull the skirt of the crimson dress down. Elijah leant stiffly against the side of his car. His gaze raked the length of her body, lingering on the exposed olive skin of her lower thighs.

Heat pooled in her belly when she took in his own appearance. If she thought he looked good in a suit it was nothing to how he looked right now. He had donned a pair of dark jeans, a blue t-shirt and a black moto jacket; he looked fantastic, while she felt like a lump of clay in ill-fitting clothes.

She drew her lower lip between her teeth and chewed while she waited for him to say something. When he continued to stare she broke the silence.

“Eli-“

Elena was cut off when he flashed in front of her. He pressed his mouth firmly against hers in a rough, impulsive kiss. She gasped when his hands grasped her waist and pulled her flush against him. Elijah took advantage of the opportunity to deepen the kiss before breaking away to leave open mouthed kisses along her jaw.

“You’re breathtaking,” he murmured against her throat. His hands roamed the expanse of her back. His hands slid down to grasp the backs of her thighs. A growl escaped him when he lifted her and the scent of her arousal flooded the garage, “you smell divine.”

“Elijah,” she wrapped her legs around his waist, “the appointment…” she shuddered when he sucked the skin over her carotid artery drawing the blood to the surface. He nipped the fading bruise with blunt teeth.

“We’ve got time,” he nipped her earlobe and groaned when she ground against his straining erection.

“Ten minutes,” she warned breathlessly.

“I’m always up for a challenge,” he drew his head back to smirk while squeezing her bottom.

Elena giggled before capturing his mouth in a passionate kiss. She shivered when she felt cold metal on her back. She broke the kiss to see that he had laid her across the hood of his Porsche. The cool metal clashed with her heated skin.

Elijah captured her lips again. His hands slid up her legs to ruck her skirt up around her waist. He hooked a finger in her black underwear to push the fabric aside before sliding a finger expertly inside to pump. He added a second finger and curled them to stroke her g-spot while his thumb circled her clit.

Elijah smirked when she started to quiver around his fingers.

Elena moaned in his ear as she approached her orgasm; she whimpered when she felt him remove his hand.

Her eyes popped open while her hands hurried to unfasten his belt. She wrapped her arms around his back and moaned his name when he thrust inside her.

Elena let one hand slip under the fabric of his shirt to splay across his back. Her legs tightened around his waist urging him on. She felt fire beginning to spread from her belly as Elijah’s hips slammed into her at a brutal pace.

The muscles in his abdomen clenched tightly as he approached his own release. He saw the hot flush spread up from her chest; he felt his vampire visage take over his face as the scent of her blood reached him.

“Elena,” he groaned when she cupped his cheek and stretched up to kiss the writhing veins.

Elena tilted her head to expose her neck. Her hand slid from his cheek to the back of his neck, when she saw the hesitation in his eyes, and pulled him to her throat.

Elijah sucked her carotid artery into his mouth drawing her rushing blood to the surface again. He licked and nipped at her neck. When he felt her walls begin to flutter with her orgasm his teeth finally punctured her skin.

Elena’s back arched as the fire spread across her body. Star’s exploded behind her eyes when he bit her drawing her orgasm out in waves of pleasure that crashed against her body.

The heady mix of her blood coupled with the way she clamped down on his cock had him tumbling over the edge.

Elena was still catching her breath when he adjusted their clothes. When Elijah helped her off the hood of the car she caught a glimpse of the clock.

“Eleven minutes,” she teased breathlessly while he opened her door, “it seems you weren’t as up to the challenge as you thought.”

“I’ll try again later,” he slid into his seat and opened the garage door before starting the engine. “You can’t go anywhere like that,” he smirked as he raked his eyes over her body.

“Like what?” Elena reached to pull down the mirror.

She inhaled sharply when Elijah leaned over and ran his tongue from the top of her left breast, just above her neckline, to her throat.

“With blood on your neck,” he explained, “while I find the blood trailing towards your chest tantalizing I don’t think the general public will.”

“What came over you?” Elena arched an elegant eyebrow when he pulled out into the street.

“I don’t know what you are referring to,” he denied when they stopped at a red light.

“The quickie in the garage,” she smoothed the hair at the back of his neck, “you couldn’t even get my clothes off before taking me against the car.”

“Oh that,” he snatched her hand and kissed her palm, “I couldn’t help myself, Elena, you always look ravishing in red.” His eyes cut across to her when the light changed colour. “And the smell of your arousal was too much to resist.”

“Are you accusing me of starting that?” She gasped and used her free hand to dramatically cover her heart.

“I could smell you through the garage,” he smirked, “you were checking me out.”

“You were ogling my legs.”

“Among other things,” he murmured. Elijah released her palm to run his hand up her inner thigh. “Can you blame me for being overcome with desire for my beautiful soulmate?”

“I suppose not,” thoughts of the dream and her talk with Caroline sprang to mind, “not when I’m just as guilty.” She shivered when his hand reached the edge of her skirt. “Were you talking to Caroline?”

“No, why?” Elijah glanced at her face when he pulled into the hospital parking lot.

“No reason,” Elena smiled.

“So what was it?” He chuckled when he cut the engine. “What got you all hot and bothered?”

Elena didn’t answer right away. Instead she adjusted her hair while her eyes roamed his body.

“I like the jeans,” she finally admitted when she opened the door, “if you hadn’t started it I probably would have.”

* * *

 

Elena’s eyes swiveled around the waiting room. It was excessively bright. The offices had west facing windows, so the afternoon sun beat in on the pastel wallpaper. Generic prints of flowers hung at even intervals around the room.

She smiled politely when another pregnant woman heaved herself into the empty chair to her right.

“Hi,” the woman held out her hand, “I’m Nora.”

Elena froze for a moment and stared at the offered hand. She wondered if it was common practice for expectant mothers to introduce themselves to each other. Elena carefully took her hand and told the woman her name.

“Is this your first, Elena?” Nora nodded to Elena’s bump.

“Yes,” she dropped her hands to her stomach, “and you? Is this your first baby?” Elena returned the question politely. Nora seemed nice enough, and Elena thought it would be nice to have someone to chat with until Elijah got back. If they had been alone in the waiting room he would have taken the call there, but as it was he’d had to step out.

“Oh no,” Nora laughed and shook her head, “I’ve got two boys: Aiden and Henry. Personally I’m hoping for a girl this time, but I think my husband’s terrified at the idea. Either way this one’s my last; life’s hard enough without someone kicking you from the inside. How far along are you, Elena?”

“12 weeks,” Elena ran her hand over the swell.

“Really?” Nora’s eyes grew wide as she looked Elena over. “I would have guessed 16.” She blushed and glanced away before looking back with a smile, “12 weeks huh? That mean’s your right in the sweet spot.”

“The sweet spot?” Elena furrowed her brow.

“Yeah, you know: the morning sickness is passing, and,” she wiggled her eyebrows, “the sex drive is increasing.”

Elena heard a high pitched laugh bubble up from her throat.

“I couldn’t keep my hands off my husband,” Nora whispered conspiratorially, “not that he complains about it; although it does get harder as the pregnancy progresses. We have to get very creative with our positions.” Nora glanced around the room. “Is your husband here?”

“I’m not married,” Elena lifted her left hand as evidence. Before she could explain how Elijah had stepped out for a moment Nora interrupted with a pitying disapproval in her eyes.

“You’re doing this alone,” the forced smile set Elena’s heart racing.

Elena clenched her jaw tightly. Her hands closed into fists in her lap as the rage set fire to her blood. She bit down on her cheek to keep from screaming at this woman and telling her exactly where she could place her disapproval.

“And what if I am?” Elena felt a sense of triumph come over her when her voice came out even. “Is there something wrong with that?” She glared at Nora while her hands heated. Every muscle in her body coiled: ready to strike.

She jumped when a strong hand covered hers. Elijah had come to sit on her left side. His free hand rubbed soothing circles between her shoulders that started to calm her down. He nodded to Nora and introduced himself.

“It was lovely to meet you, Nora.” Elijah stood and helped Elena to her feet. “We would love to stay and chat, but we’re about to be called in.”

Before Nora could ask how he knew that the nurse had called Elena’s name.

* * *

 

Elijah held Elena’s hand while the nurse took some blood and checked her vitals. Her palm burned as if a fever was raging through her body. The rigid set of her spine and the hard spark in her eye told him she was pissed off.

Sure enough, as soon as the nurse vacated the exam room, Elena ignited. She let out a string of curses while squeezing his hand tightly.

“What is that woman thinking?” Elena’s face flushed scarlet as she ranted. “It’s the 21st century! If I want to raise a baby on my own, I’m going to do it and nobody has any right to judge me for that!” Her free hand gestured wildly as she spoke. Elijah thought he saw smoke rising from her palm.

“Would it do any good to point out that you are not doing this alone?” Elijah winced when her hand heated against his palm. The smell of burnt flesh reached his nose.

“I know that,” Elena sighed, “and you know that, but she,” Elena pointed in the direction of the waiting room, “did not know that. She acted as if having a baby alone was the worst thing in the world.”

“I see you’ve met Nora,” a petite woman stepped into the room, “try not to take it to heart. She has a habit of making unmarried women feel terrible about themselves; it’s gotten worse with each pregnancy.” She smiled and extended her hand, “I’m Dr. Ivanov.”

Elijah watched with bated breath as Elena held out her free hand.

“I’m Elena,” she drew in a few deep breaths, “and this is Elijah?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Dr. Ivanov frowned, “are your hands always this warm Elena?”

“I…”

“It’s rather common,” Elijah released her hand to wrap an arm around her waist. He felt relief wash over him; he smirked at Elena, “she runs hot.”

Elena shivered at his words and felt the beginning strains of arousal coil in her abdomen. She saw the amusement in his eyes when the smell drifted up from the apex of her thighs.

“Smug bastard,” Elena breathed. She could tell by his smirk that he had heard her. Elena turned her attention back to the doctor. “I’ve been a little hotter than normal lately, but I cool fairly fast.” She gave Elijah a pointed look.

“Okay,” Dr. Ivanov’s lips quirked in amusement, “as long as it’s normal I’m not concerned, and your bloodwork was normal.” She rolled over the machine. “Do you have any questions before we start?”

“Yes,” Elijah rubbed the small of Elena’s back, “there was an echo on the last ultrasound. The technician said it was nothing to worry about, but…” Elijah trailed off. He had heard the echo the technician had, and while he had a theory about it he had not spent enough time around expectant mothers to be sure.

“You’re worried?” Dr. Ivanov nodded and offered them a reassuring smile. “It’s probably nothing, but we’ll take a look. Can you scoot up on the table?”

The paper crinkled loudly under her body as she shifted. Elena draped the sheet over her legs and lifted her skirt to expose her stomach. She flinched when the cold gel hit her skin.

Elijah saw Elena smile when the high frequency fluttering, that he had been hearing for weeks, filled the room.

“I can hear it,” Dr. Ivanov stared at the screen. She started to move the wand around Elena’s belly; a moment later she smiled, “and here’s why.” She took a small recording of the ultrasound before turning the screen for them to see. “There is no echo, it’s a second heartbeat.”

Elena held her breath when she saw two distinct shapes encased in a single, misshapen, black circle.

“It’s not that uncommon to miss twins at an early screening,” Dr. Ivanov wiped the gel from Elena’s stomach. “Everything looks perfectly fine. I’ve already sent the recording to the numbers you put in your file. Unless you have any other questions you’re free to go; we’ll schedule an appointment for 4 weeks’ time.”

“Two?” Elena stared at the screen. She barely noticed when Elijah smoothed down her skirt.

Elijah watched unable to move, as the doctor nodded. The brief moment of triumph, when he’d realized he was right, had passed. Now he stared in shock at the first, semi-clear, image of their children.

“Why don’t you two take a few minutes before leaving,” Dr. Ivanov glanced between the young couple before exiting the room.

“Twins?” Elena whispered. She reached blindly for his hand. “Twins? How are we going to handle twins?” Elena felt her heart clench as panic slid through her veins.

“I think we can handle it,” Elijah squeezed her hand. “There are two of us, and there will be two of them.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about…” Elena swiped at her cheeks. “What if I’m a terrible mother… I barely kept myself alive through high school, and now I’m responsible for two new lives… What if I screw them both up?” She hiccupped.

“Elena,” he cupped her cheeks and turned her to face him, “you are the most compassionate person I have ever met. You have done whatever it takes to keep the people you love safe. You love unconditionally, even when it’s ill-advised.” He gazed into her glistening brown eyes. “You are going to make a terrific mother.”

“I love you,” she sniffled. Elena wrapped her arms around his back and rested her head against his neck.

“You shouldn’t,” he murmured against her hair. “I have done appalling things Elena. I’ve committed truly horrendous acts over the centuries. If anyone should be worried about being a terrible parent it’s me… I keep waiting for you to realize that I’m no good for you, or our children.”

“Hey,” she tilted her chin back to look at him. When he wouldn’t meet her gaze she ran her fingers through his short hair. “Everything you’ve done, you’ve done for family; I understand that.” She inhaled when his dark eyes met hers. “Whether you believe it or not you are one of the best things that ever happened to me. You are going to be a great father.”

“I love you,” he pressed a light kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“I love you too,” She hopped off of the table. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m glad I’m not the only one worried.”

She smiled when he chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.  
> I left links at the bottom of this chapter for the ring and dresses.

_Elijah pulled Elena into a classical dance form. Together they glided around the courtyard that had been transformed into a dancefloor. Her swollen abdomen made getting closer difficult but somehow he managed it, and dropped a kiss to her lips._

_She pulled from his arms a moment later; a mischievous spark entered her eyes as she danced out of his reach and beckoned him to follow._

_She vanished up the wide staircase. He scanned the top of the stairs when he got there. He caught a glimpse of her white dress disappearing into their bedroom. He grinned when he stepped through the door._

_The frown slipped from his face when he found the room empty save a crib in the centre. He stepped towards the polished wood expecting to find their children, instead he found sheets speckled with blood._

_Ice dripped down his spine, and gripped at his heart. He spun wildly around the room; his eyes searched every empty corner of the room._

_Elijah froze when he heard an accented voice float in through the open door._

_“Mon cheri.”_

_Elijah stepped into the hall. He should have been more surprised when he stepped into the hall of the old governor’s mansion. He caught a glimpse of a woman leading him around the corner into a room he knew would house a bath._

_His footsteps echoed against the walls. He rounded the corner expecting to see his former lover drowned in her bath._

_Elijah froze when he saw the fingers curled around the edge of the bath. He saw olive, where he should have seen mocha. He stepped slowly towards the tub as the ice spread through the rest of his body._

_A gasp escaped his lips when he took in her wide, unseeing eyes. His hands closed around arms._

Elijah bolted upright. His heart pounded in his chest. The realization that it was only a dream made him relax slightly.

He felt his heart stop when he realized the bed was empty.

* * *

 

Elena flitted around the kitchen early Saturday morning. She had stolen one of Elijah’s shirts and pulled on a pair of leggings before tiptoeing out of the room so as not to wake a peacefully sleeping Elijah. She had woken earlier than normal with a craving for her mother’s sticky buns; luckily she knew the recipe by heart.

The buns were cooling on the rack. She was just wiping her hands on her apron, after mixing the glaze, when she heard footfalls by the door.

Elena straightened and turned to see who had entered the kitchen. Her brows furrowed when she found the room empty. A moment later, Caroline shuffled into the kitchen with mussed hair and bleary eyes.

Caroline shuffled wordlessly onto a barstool and laid her head in her hands. Her shoulders drooped forward as her mind attempted to comprehend the early hour.

Elena poured a cup of coffee. She laughed when Caroline’s head snapped up. Elena passed over the mug and gave her a sticky bun after she drizzled a glaze over the top. She poured herself a small cup of coffee and hopped up onto the adjacent stool with a sticky bun.

“Something smells heavenly,” Kol flashed into the kitchen.

“Trust a man to follow his stomach,” Caroline grumbled over her coffee. She rolled her eyes when she saw Kol dressed in pajama pants and nothing else.

“Or nose,” Lexa yawned and followed Kol into the kitchen, “as the case may be.” She pushed up the sleeves of Kol’s button down; she had thrown it on over her camisole. “He is right though, it smells amazing in here. What is that?”

“Miranda Gilbert’s sticky buns,” Caroline chirped. She was more alert now that she had downed half of her coffee cup. She broke off a piece of her bun and popped it in her mouth. Caroline hummed appreciatively as one of the flavors of her childhood coated her tongue and made her taste buds tingle.

“Are you going to share?” Kol pretended to swipe for Caroline’s plate. She growled and snapped at his fingers.

“There’s a whole pan,” Elena gestured with her fork, “help yourselves.” She held out her plate to Kol as he started dishing out the pastries.

“I see you’re hungry this morning,” Kol teased when he took a bite.

“I had a craving,” Elena grinned, “it’s not quite satisfied yet.” She glanced over her shoulder when she felt Elijah’s arms circle her waist. She smiled when he greeted her with a kiss.

“Morning,” he mumbled against her lips. He pulled back to meet her gaze, “you taste like cinnamon and coffee.” Elijah raised his eyebrows.

“Just the one cup,” Elena swore. “Although, I’m starting to think we should re-negotiate that to two cups a day.”

“On what grounds?” Elijah tightened his loose hold.

“One coffee per child, per day,” Elena held up her fingers as she talked. She remembered they were not alone when a fork clattered against a plate.

“Am I getting hard of hearing in my old age?” Kol sat down his half eaten breakfast. “There’s two babies now? What you couldn’t wait for the first to pop out before knocking her up again?” He smirked at Elijah. “Can’t say I’m surprised at the rate you two have been going – Ow!”

Lexa smacked his arm and glared before offering Elena and Elijah a bright smile. “Congratulations,” she felt only the smallest twinge of envy.

“I was only joking, Elskling,” Kol pouted and rubbed his arm.

“Serves you right,” Caroline laughed. She turned to Elena and Elijah. “We have so much to do: painting, clothes, furniture. We need to figure out where the nursery is going to go, and we’ll need two of just about everything…”

“Isn’t it a little early for this,” Elijah murmured against her hair. He kept his arms around her as if to reassure himself of her presence.

“Shh,” Elena patted his hand, “just let her go ‘lijah. There’s no reasoning with her now.” Elena recognized the look in her best friend’s eyes. It was the same one she got when she was planning an event.

“What’s going on?” Klaus strolled into the kitchen with Rebekah.

“They’re having twins,” Kol motioned to Elena and Elijah. “Caroline’s gone into overdrive.”

“Seriously?” Rebekah flashed in front of Elena. She bent at the waist and pressed here ear to the bump; she counted two heartbeats when she focused her attention. “That’s two nieces or nephews to spoil… or a niece and a nephew. Do we know that yet?”

“Not yet, sister,” Elijah shook his head.

“While technology has made some amazing strides,” Elena smiled, “it’s still too early to tell.”

“Congratulations,” Klaus smirked. He slapped his brother’s shoulder; Elena felt the reverberation in her back.

“I might be able to find out for you,” Lexa placed some dishes in the dishwasher. “My aunt was a midwife; she taught me a few things.”

“Maybe later,” Elena nodded.

“Well,” Kol wrapped his arm around Lexa’s waist, “as long as everyone’s here we have some news as well.”

“Lexa’s pregnant too?” Klaus smirked and took a bite of Caroline’s sticky bun, “this is delicious.”

“No,” Kol laughed before looking down at Lexa with a furrowed brow, “no?” he glanced back up when she shook her head, “No, she’s not pregnant,” he tightened his hold on her, “we’re getting married.”

Elena and Caroline were the first to react. Twin grins spread across their faces as they offered congratulations. Rebekah’s envy began to grow when she realized two of her brothers were achieving things she never would, but she forced a smile for Kol and Lexa. Klaus and Elijah were a little slower on the uptake, but no less enthusiastic.

“This ring is gorgeous,” Caroline gushed when Lexa showed them. Elena asked Kol where he had gotten it.

“Spain,” Kol said, “from a little shop in Madrid.”

“It looks old,” Elijah remarked, “eighteenth century if I’m not mistaken.”

“You’re not,” Kol held Lexa’s hand and fingered the band, “I got it in 1702.”

“You did?” Lexa tilted her head to look at him with wide eyes.

“Aww,” Caroline and Elena sighed. Caroline rested her chin in her hand; Elena leaned back against Elijah’s chest. “You’ve had it for 313 years?”

Elijah felt guilt twist his stomach as he realized the implications of what Kol had revealed. Tension settled between the brothers.

“So, Elena,” Klaus shifted the tone of conversation, “What would you say is the most common pregnancy craving?”

“For men to get pregnant,” Caroline deadpanned.

“I haven’t experienced that one yet,” Elena remarked drily, “maybe when I’m in labor.”

A chuckle circled the room bouncing off the walls; the tension faded slightly.

* * *

 

Elijah cornered Niklaus in the study after everyone else had left; Kol had snuck off somewhere, and the girls were out shopping.

“You need to address this animosity between Lexa and yourself, Niklaus,” Elijah sat in a club chair across from him.

“I don’t see why,” Niklaus didn’t look up from his book.

“She is going to be his wife, Niklaus, your sister in law,” Elijah tapped his fingers against the arm rest. “They might have had centuries together if not for us.”

“And I could argue that since she is the first of her kind,” Niklaus turned his page with a smirk, “that had we not done as we did they would have never had the possibility of children. You know Kol would have turned her.” His gaze hardened. A muscle ticked in his jaw, “I’ll not apologize, Elijah. I had a good reason, you know I did, if I didn’t you wouldn’t have helped me.”

“Niklaus,” Elijah leaned forward and gripped the edge of his chair.

“What do you want from me Elijah?”

“A change in behaviour,” Elijah rose to his feet and strode toward the door, “that indicates contrition, and personal growth.”

Elijah paused at the threshold.

“I can count on one hand the number of times we have been a happy family. I have hope for a bright future. Do not let this be the final wedge between you and Kol; you just might lose him this time.”

* * *

 

“How many stores did we hit?” Elena glanced at the multitude of bags in her arms.

“Only three,” Rebekah laughed. She waved a couple of bags in her left hand, “these are yours.”

“So are these ones,” Caroline reminded her.

“I think you bought a whole new wardrobe,” Lexa teased.

Elena looked at the bags containing a variety of maternity clothes: dresses, skirts, tops, jeans, and underwear. Her cheeks tinged pink.

“I g-guess I did go a little overboard,” Elena admitted sheepishly.

“You do have a very good reason,” Lexa nudged Elena’s hip. She found herself wishing she’d have a good reason soon.

“I did, didn’t I?” Elena grinned. Her warm brown eyes landed on Lexa’s ring. “You’ve got a good reason to shop as well. Have you and Kol made any plans yet? What kind of time frame are we looking at?”

“We were thinking about May,” Lexa smiled shyly; “we met in the spring.”

“In that case,” Elena grinned in the direction of a tiny shop across the way, “I wouldn’t be totally out of line if I directed us to the bridal shop over yonder?”

“I don’t think you would,” Lexa grinned. “It’s rather good timing to, since I have the maid of honour with me. Her dress will have to be considered carefully since she is growing two people at the moment.”

“Me?” Elena stared with wide eyes.

“Yes, you,” Lexa nodded as if it were obvious. “I don’t have many girlfriends, and I think we’ve gotten close this last month and a half… so, how about it? Will you be my maid of honour?”

“Yes,” Elena wrapped her in a hug; it was a little awkward because of the bags but they made it work, “of course I will.”

Lexa made Rebekah and Caroline promise to help with the planning to which they happily agreed.

* * *

 

“Definitely not,” Rebekah and Elena laughed.

Lexa tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully as she surveyed the abundance of tulle encasing her legs.

“I don’t know…” Lexa smirked, “I think it makes me look delicious.”

“Like a cupcake,” Caroline agreed with a decisive nod.

“And who doesn’t love cupcakes?” Elena giggled with Rebekah.

“No one,” Rebekah smiled. She passed a glass of champagne to Caroline and a bottle of high end water to Elena. “You look like a diabetic’s worst nightmare. I think you should try the next one.”

“Don’t you have to book appointments for all this stuff?” Elena motioned to the complimentary sweet trays and beverages that had been provided by the boutique.

“I thought that was the case,” Caroline sipped her champagne.

“It is,” Rebekah crossed her legs and leaned back against the plush couch, “but it’s amazing what you can get with a little compulsion.”

“Rebekah,” Elena sat down her water, “did you compel her an appointment?”

“Yes, I did,” Rebekah smiled. “Kol and I may fight like cats and dogs, but he’s my brother and I love him. Kol loves her, and she’s starting to grow on me. This is the least I could do.”

“You didn’t have to do that, Rebekah,” Lexa’s voice was muffled by rustling fabric. “I don’t think I want anyone to ever see me in this.”

“Well now we have to see it,” Caroline sang, “come on out.”

“Do I have to?” Lexa frowned at what she could see of her reflection.

“Yes,” three gleeful voices chirped through the curtain.

“Alright,” Lexa sighed. She poked her head around the curtain. “I better not see any camera phones.” She glanced at her grinning companions. When she saw them miming crossing their hearts she tore aside the curtain.

Rebekah and Caroline managed to hold back their laughs. Elena’s mouth popped open when she saw the monstrosity.

“I see why you hesitated,” Elena covered her mouth to stifle the giggle that bubbled up, “that dress is horrible.”

“I look like an egg,” Lexa decided. She fingered the feathery material. The dress flared out under her arms in an egg shape that tapered off just below her nails. From her knees down the dress flared out like a fishtail.

“It’s egg meets mermaid,” Caroline gasped. She found she couldn’t look away.

“We’re definitely going about this the wrong way,” Elena stood up. “Caroline help Lexa out of that thing,” she pointed to the dress, “Rebekah come with me.”

“Why would those attendants think those dresses were a good idea,” Rebekah flipped through a mess of silk and tulle.

“I’m thinking they saw the designer bags and clothes and chose the most expensive dresses in the shop,” she pulled a couple of dresses from the rack. “How about one of these?”

“Possibilities,” Rebekah nodded her approval, “but I think her silhouette needs something more like this,” she pulled down a dress and held it up, “it’s similar to what you’ve got there, with a few alterations.”

Rebekah draped a few more dresses over her arm and turned to return to the changing room.

“Rebekah?” Elena toyed with the material over her left arm.

“Yes?” Rebekah spun on her heel.

“I owe you an apology,” she met Rebekah’s blue eyes, “and it’s six years overdue.”

“You’re talking about the dagger?” Rebekah stepped closer.

“We were getting along,” Elena explained, “and I thought we could even be friends. I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want to betray your trust. I’m sorry,” she pressed her lips together firmly; “I hope you might forgive me one day.”

Rebekah surprised her by shaking her head with a small smile.

“It’s alright. I could hear you, you know?” She glanced at the crème coloured silk. “I heard you arguing with the Salvatore’s, Damon specifically, you refused to hurt me. Honestly Elena,” she gave her a pointed look, “I don’t think it was entirely your idea.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” She asked after a pause.

“I thought you loved him, and anything I said would be considered petty,” Rebekah admitted. “I didn’t want to be responsible for breaking your trust in him; and there was no lasting damage, at least not physical. If I’m being honest, I kind of like you Elena… I think you and my brother are good for each other.”

Rebekah tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “If I seem cold sometimes it’s not because I don’t like you… it’s because I envy you… and my brother a little bit too.” Her eyes fell on Elena’s growing belly.

“You could have this one day, Rebekah,” Elena gave her a one armed hug.

“That’s very kind of you to say, Elena,” Rebekah blinked back a few tears as they re-entered the changing room, “but I don’t think it will.”

“Your soulmates out there somewhere.”

“Yeah,” Rebekah nodded and passed a dress through to Lexa and Caroline. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d already found him. And after everything they had been through it was unlikely they would ever build a future together. Children were definitely out of the question.

“Hold still while I do up the back,” Caroline’s peppy voice chirped through the curtain. A moment later Lexa emerged.

She chewed her bottom lip nervously when she stepped out. She held her hands in front of her as Caroline came around.

“She wouldn’t let me look,” Lexa glanced at Caroline, “how bad is it? You two are staring at me like…”

“You look gorgeous,” Rebekah’s eyes roamed over the material. It was the dress she and Elena had both agreed on.

“Really?” Lexa turned to face the mirrors that would allow her to see every angle. She felt herself fall in love when she saw it.

A silver band ran along the top circling around the back of the dress. White silk fell cascaded to the floor over an A-line skirt. There was a second skirt that hung a little lower than the first in the same silver material as the top. Lexa turned slightly and caught a glimpse of the silver ribbon holding the corset closed, and the small flower petals embroidered along the hemline. It vaguely reminded her of a dress she had seen her mother wear over 300 years before.

“It’s perfect,” her hand slid over the material covering her hip.

* * *

 

"You might be content to sit around and do nothing, but I am not," Damon paced between the rows in the cemetery.

"I'm not doing ‘nothing’," Celeste extinguished her candle as the sun sent long shadows across her face.

"Of course," Damon shook his head, "how could I forget, you're toying with their minds." He kicked at a gravestone. "The longer we wait the harder it is to end her pregnancy, and if she has that baby he will always be in her life. You said she was carrying his child because she is a doppelganger; if she wants a baby I'll give her one."

"You need to practice patience," Celeste urged, "good things come to those who wait."

"I'm not content to wait while you do whatever it is you're doing." Damon glared at the mess of materials that littered the cobblestones.

"I'm spreading seeds of fear in their minds," Celeste placed her leftover ingredients in her bag, "and let me tell you, getting into an Original vampire's mind is no easy task."

"I can tell," Damon frowned at her, "it's taken you six weeks." He spun on his heel and stormed from the cemetery. A new plan began to formulate in his mind when he pulled out his vibrating cell phone.

"Hello, brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ring   
> https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2b/78/89/2b7889e63b4a46b0cd44a74797ab46ed.jpg   
> The cupcake   
> http://hfhpcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Good-Ratchet-Wedding-Dress-91-On-Cupcake-Wedding-Dress-with-Ratchet-Wedding-Dress.jpg  
> The egg   
> http://www.theloop.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/10.jpg   
> The dress   
> https://royasanty.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/petite-wedding-dress.jpg


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

"How was your afternoon?" Elijah leaned against the door of the walk in closet. He eyed the bags on the floor: "fruitful?"

"I won't be having another clothing crisis anytime soon," she laughed. Elena folded the last of her non-maternity clothes and placed them in the box at her feet.

Elijah lifted one of the bags and pulled out several pieces of fabric. He placed them on hangers before reaching for another. He smirked when he noticed the contents of lace and silk.

""Will you be modeling some of these?" He held up a black lace bra.

"Maybe later," she grinned. She held out her hand. When he reluctantly passed it over she dropped it into a drawer.

"I'll hold you to that," he winked. Elijah finished helping her put the clothes away.

Elena ran her finger along the hanging clothes. She had purchased several tunics meant to be worn with leggings. She selected a crimson coloured tunic and reached for the black lace bra in the drawer. She could feel Elijah's eyes on her as she removed the tags.

"Are you going to watch me change?" Elena teased. She set the top on the shelf and fingered the hem of his t-shirt that she had stolen that morning.

"Actually," he stepped forward and rested his hands on her hips, "I thought I might be of assistance." He took hold of the shirt and slowly lifted the material over her head.

"How considerate of you," she shivered when his hand slid around her back.

Elijah laid a soft kiss beneath her ear when he unhooked her bra. She murmured her thanks when he slid the new one up her arms and fastened the snap.

"Well?" She held out her arms palms up.

"Exquisite," his eyes roamed over her upper body. He leaned forward to catch her mouth in a soft kiss that left her light-headed.

Elijah pulled back and met her bright gaze. Elena felt a series of electric shocks down her spine; he seemed to peer directly into her soul.

"Your heart is racing," he snaked his hands around her waist.

"You were staring at me," she wrapped her arms around his neck. She exhaled when her back collided with the wall.

"Is that all it takes these days?" A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. He inclined his neck to place open mouthed kisses across her cheek. One of his hands left her waist to cradle her neck.

"Apparently," she giggled when he met her lips. They traded languid kisses for several moments before Elena heard something outside the door of their bedroom. She gently pushed on his chest. When he pulled back she turned her head towards the bedroom.

A moment later they heard a harsh knock followed by Caroline's frantic voice.

* * *

"Wow," Elena gasped when she saw Caroline's bed, "just when I thought the clothing crisis was over…" She shoved some things aside to clear a space on the bed.

"Maybe yours is," Caroline eyed the crimson tunic with ¾ sleeves and roaching under the breasts, "mine's just beginning. I really like that top by the way."

"Thank you," Elena held up a green camisole. She eyed the rest of her best friends clothes. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I don't know what to wear," Caroline massaged her temples. She shook her head and surveyed the mess.

"I gathered that," Elena smirked.

"Very funny," Caroline groaned. "I have no idea what Klaus has planned, so I have no idea what to wear."

"You need something versatile."

Elena stretched across the bed for a pair of black skinny jeans. "How about these, with the green camisole, and your new white jacket?"

Caroline considered the pieces together before pulling them on. She surveyed the effect before nodding.

"I like it," Caroline grinned. She lifted her bare foot and wiggled it around, "shoes?"

"The white ankle boots with the black heel." Elena pointed. "They'll match perfectly."

"How do I look?" Caroline spun in a slow circle.

"Cute and casual," Elena grinned. She hopped off the bed and pulled out a necklace and diamond bracelet, "lose the jacket, add the jewelry, and you'll go from casual to sophisticated."

"It's perfect, thank you," Caroline fastened the necklace and held out her wrist for Elena to fasten the bracelet. A knock sounded at the door, "perfect timing."

"Good evening, sweetheart," Klaus smirked when he saw her bracelet; the one he had given her years ago. He offered her his arm, "shall we go?"

He nodded to Elena with a small smile as they left.

"Have fun," she called after them.

* * *

An hour later, Elena found Lexa reading in the library. She dropped beside her on the couch.

"Hey," Lexa marked her page, "what's up? Isn't that what the kids are saying these days?"

"I had a question, grandma," Elena giggled. She glanced out the window at a growing mass of grey clouds approaching the Quarter, "witches are the guardians of nature, right?"

"Yes," Lexa set her book on a low end table, "that's not your question though."

"You're right," Elena grinned, "it's not. Can you manipulate the weather?"

"I've done it before," Lexa shrugged. "Why, do you want to make it rain?"

"I was hoping to make it not rain," Elena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Caroline and Klaus are on a date, and I would hate for them to get rained out. Can you help?"

"Well," Lexa crossed her arms, "as much as I'd like to ruin Klaus' evening I do like Caroline."

"Is that a yes?" Elena raised her eyebrows hopefully. "You'll do the spell?"

"No," Lexa climbed to her feet, "you'll do the spell."

* * *

"Where are we going?" Caroline surveyed the empty stretch of road. She gave him a sideways glance, "are you planning on murdering me, and hiding my body in the middle of nowhere?"

"If that were the case, which it is not," he smirked, "then I really shouldn't have told Elena what we were doing."

"You told Elena?" Caroline stared at him with wide eyes.

"I did," he chuckled, "in case you needed help getting ready."

"When did you tell her?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Earlier today," he reached for her hand, "before you went shopping."

Klaus turned off the road onto a hidden drive. Hs SUV just cleared the low hanging branches fanning over the roof. He parked the car and pointed to a large building in the early twilight.

"A barn?" Caroline quirked one eyebrow. Her eyes danced with amusement when he took her hand and led her in that direction, "this seems like the start of a bad horror film."

"We are vampires, love. I can't think of a more relevant genre," Klaus smirked. He pushed open the double doors and led her inside.

"I've always been partial to romantic comedies, myself. Caroline froze.

She blushed when the squeal escaped her lips: "horses?"

"Yes, love," Klaus chuckled, "I remembered how much you love them."

He watched with amusement as Caroline slowly approached and stroked the animal's nose. "I take it this isn't our final destination."

"Not quite," he took the reins and led the horses outside, "we've got a short ride. Are you alright, love?"

Caroline glanced up from where she was twisting her ring around her finger. "It's been a while since I've ridden."

"Don't worry," he teased, "it's just like riding a bike."

Caroline laughed and allowed him to help her into the saddle. She admired the scenery as they rode through a few trails. "Where exactly are we?" She eyed the large white house as they approached.

"The old governor's mansion," Klaus led them towards the stable. "Elijah owns it now. We are going around to the back yard."

They put the horses in the stables before Klaus took her hand and led her around back. Caroline's breath caught in her throat when she saw the picnic blanket. She gave him a sideways glance as they sat down.

"How did you know I liked picnics?"

"Lucky guess," he winked. Klaus caught the grape she lobbed at his head with ease. He chuckled and met her shrewd gaze, "alright… fine I admit it… I asked Elena."

"And she helped?" Caroline arched a brow. "The dynamic between the two of you really has changed hasn't it?"

"I considered her a friend of sorts before the whole soulmate thing." Klaus handed her a glass of white wine.

"And now?"

"Now she is family," he grinned, "and whether I like it or not, so is Kol's witch."

"You should really clear the air between the two of you," she sipped her wine and eyed the food.

"You're the second person to tell me that today."

"And has the advice sunk in yet?"

"I'm considering it," he shrugged. He knew Elijah and Caroline were right; he was partially responsible for what had happened.

"Okay," Caroline nodded. "So tell me: why does Elijah own the governor's mansion?"

Klaus grinned before launching into the tale of how they had arrived in New Orleans. He kept one eye on the clouds that were encroaching on the sunset.

* * *

"Well," Lexa surveyed the open air courtyard, "it's not raining."

"You didn't give me the wrong spell?" Elena cocked an eyebrow. She surveyed the courtyard as it slowly disappeared beneath a blanket of white.

"My spell should have worked," Lexa stepped towards the fountain. She left a trail of footprints in her wake. "I think you might have mispronounced something; or it could be the result of a traveller trying to use a witch's spell."

"Sure," Elena shivered as the flakes grew in size, "blame the newbie." She laughed as the snowflakes caught in her hair: "at least snows romantic."

"It is," Lexa smirked. "I can't wait to see how the news reacts."

Kol chose that moment to re-renter the compound. His eyes glittered with mirth when he saw them standing in the courtyard. Kol flashed behind Lexa and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I take it the two of you have noticed the unusual weather. You wouldn't have had anything to do with this, Elskling?"

"I just provided the spell," Lexa leaned back against his chest. "Elena did the rest."

"I'm going to count it as a win," she decided and rubbed her arms. "I wanted to keep it from raining and I did."

Elena blinked through the heavy snow to see Kol resting his chin on Lexa's head. "Where have you been all day?"

Kol reached inside his jacket and pulled out a royal blue stone hanging from a silver chain. "I was tracking down this and making sure it was properly spelled."

"Is that the sodalite?" Lexa took the gem and stepped out of Kol's arms to enter the dining room.

Elena followed and leaned against the table. She glanced out at the courtyard and was shocked to see that she could hardly make out the stairs. She wondered briefly how long the snow would fall.

"Why did you need sodalite?" Elena examined the stone. It was similar to lapis lazuli.

"Lexa motioned for Elena to hop up on the table. She giggled at the confused expression on the brunette's face.

"Sodalite is associated with healing, protection and intuition. When spelled correctly, and wielded by a witch, it can reveal the gender of an unborn baby."

"How does it work?" Elena placed her hands on the table and lifted herself up. She scooted back a bit.

"Basically, darling, you'll lay down and Lexa will hold it above the baby and mumble a few words." He chuckled when his fiancé gave him a playful shove.

"If the necklace swings clockwise then it's a boy," Lexa explained as Elena swung her legs up and lay down, "counter-clockwise and it's a girl."

Elena lifted her head and grinned. "Just one problem: there are two babies. What if it's one of each?"

"It's not," Lexa gently pushed her back down. "I looked at the ultrasound, remember? There is only one amniotic sack which means you are having identical twins,"

"You can tell that from the ultrasound?" Elena's eyes grew wide. "I wonder why the doctor didn't say that."

"Did you ask?" Kol leaned against the table and crossed his arms.

"No."

"That's probably why," Lexa chuckled. She extended her arm over Elena's abdomen and began to chant.

A slow grin spread across Elena's face as she watched the slow arches of the sodalite.

* * *

Caroline brushed some snow from her shoulders and stepped into the open entry way. She glanced outside to try and see the driveway, but the snow was falling too heavily.

"Has it ever snowed in New Orleans?" Caroline reached up and brushed some melting snow from his hair.

"The last time was in 2004," he shut the door, "and it has snowed a few times before, but usually only in December."

"So we've got a freak snowstorm in March," she stepped up to the window. "Should we try to get back to the compound?"

"While we can't be hurt, we could easily get lost in that." Klaus rested his hand on the small of her back. "I think we should wait it out."

"Well in that case, does Elijah have any heating out here? It's freezing." Caroline shivered dramatically.

Klaus chuckled and led her into a large sitting room with a stone fireplace. He quickly piled the wood and started a fire. Within a few minutes they were sitting before a cheery blaze.

"So," Caroline shed her jacket allowing the fire to warm her skin, "you were telling me about how your family founded the city…"

"We started in this house." Klaus looked around with a wistful smile. "A little compulsion and money had the governor turning a blind eye to our occasional indiscretions… and luckily Rebekah forgave me for throwing her lover over a railing."

"How long did that take?"

"Not too long," Klaus frowned, "she wasn't overly attached to that one. She was madly in love again fifteen years later."

"Did you kill that one too?" Caroline frowned.

"I turned him, actually. I'm sure you've met Marcel. Of course we knew him as Marcellus."

"Marcellus," she chewed over the name, "it means 'little warrior'. How did he come by that?"

"It's the name I gave him," Klaus reached for her hand. "I took him in as a child and raised him."

Caroline watched the fire crackle for a long moment. She stretched out her legs in front of the fire, shook her hair back over her shoulder, and watched him through the corner of her eye.

"Klaus… can I ask you something?"

"Anything, love," he squeezed her hand.

"If you had the choice would you go back?" She pressed her lips together and clarified, "be human, I mean. Do you ever wish that?"

"In the beginning I did… but not now," Klaus watched her closely. "Would you?"

She ran her fingers along the antique carpet. The smooth fibers sent tingles up her arm. She tapped the carpet before answering honestly: "I don't know."

"You wouldn't," he used his free hand to cup her cheek. "You prefer who you are now to the girl you once were." He searched her piercing green eyes, "you like being strong, ageless, fearless."

His hand smoothed back her hair before settling on the back of her neck. "We're the same in that regard, Caroline."

If anyone ever asked she would deny it, but she kissed him first. Their mouths moved together quickly. Caroline could hear his heartrate increase when she prodded his lip with her tongue. They battled for dominance.

Caroline gasped for breath when he broke contact. She rested her forehead against his and inhaled the scent that she had come to associate with him, and him alone.

As she met his gleaming eyes another smell reached her sensitive nose. It was rich and heady and made her mouth water.

Caroline grasped the back of his neck; her lips crashed against his in a bruising kiss. Her free hand slid under the hem of his shirt to splay across his lower back. She gasped when he wrapped his arms around her waist to drag her closer.

Klaus took advantage of her the situation to slip his tongue into her mouth and swirl across hers. His hand came up to cradle her neck as he deepened the kiss.

Caroline shifted to straddle him. With the movement the scent of her arousal filled the air. She broke the kiss when she felt her fangs descend to trail kisses to his neck.

His blood pounded in her ears when she sucked on his pulse point. She lightly nipped his skin; he groaned and tightened his grip on her hip. Caroline's next action took them both by surprise.

Her fangs pierced his carotid artery. Euphoria washed over her when she took long pulls of his blood. Her hips rocked against him subconsciously.

Klaus groaned when she ground against his growing erection. His hands fell to grasp the hem of her shirt.

Caroline gasped when her back hit the floor.

Klaus pinned her wrists above her head with one hand. His eyes flickered from her bloodstained lips to her bewildered eyes.

"I… I…" Her tongue darted out to taste the blood on her mouth.

Caroline moaned when he dipped down to nibble on her ear.

"We're you planning on sharing, love?" He rolled his hips against her aching center.

Caroline could tossed her head back when his teeth grazed her neck. The fire that had pooled in her abdomen began to spend. She wrapped her jean clad legs around his waist and tilted her head to the side to give him better access to her throat. Her brain short circuited when he bit into her neck.

As he fed from her Caroline became acutely aware of his emotions. She could feel the full extent of his love for her. Despite the fact that she had already been aware, the feeling still took her breath away.

Klaus groaned when she broke free and dragged his wrist to her mouth before breaking the skin. Waves of fire crashed over them both as they simultaneously fed on each other. They broke away several moments later gasping for breath.

"Is blood sharing always like that?" Caroline whispered.

"I don't know," Klaus murmured against her lips, "I've never done that before."

This time the kiss was slow and sensual drawing moans from both. Caroline slowly lifted his shirt over his head and raked her nails back down his back. She sat up to help him remove her green camisole.

Caroline arched her back when his hand snaked around to unhook her bra; he tossed the material over his shoulder before pulling back to admire the flush on her skin.

"Are you going to spend the whole night staring at me?" Caroline rocked her hips up against him.

"I was considering it," he growled against the column of her throat, "but I think I'll forgo staring in favour of another activity."

He slowly left a trail of kisses down her throat and across her breasts. Caroline moaned loudly when he sucked her nipple into his mouth and bit down gently. She carded her fingers through his hair when he switched to her other breast. His head came up to tweak he unattended nipple.

As much as Caroline was enjoying his ministrations she needed him lower. Klaus seemed to respond to her thought and began to lick and nip his way down her stomach. His tongue dipped into her naval when he unhooked her jeans. He slid them down her legs along with her underwear; she kicked off her boots to facilitate their removal.

The increased smell of her arousal made his already hard cock strain against the stiff denim of his jeans. He wasted no time in laying a burning trail of kisses from her ankle to her inner thigh. He stopped to suck the skin of her femoral artery and eyed her dripping center.

"You're so wet, love," Klaus grinned. He propped himself up and met her hooded eyes.

"'s your fault," Caroline mumbled. "Are you going to do something about it?"

"What would you have me do, sweetheart?" He slid his finger along her slit to gather moisture before lightly circling her swollen clit. Her eyes drifted shut.

Caroline whimpered. She rocked her hips seeking friction, but was stilled by Klaus' other hand pressing firmly against her hip.

Her eyes popped open when she sensed him hovering above her. The intensity in his gaze had a flood of fluid dripping onto the antique carpet. He repeated his question.

"I want you… inside me." Her hands moved and in a fraction of a second she had popped the button on his jeans and pulled down the zipper. She hooked her thumbs into the waistband and pushed. "I want to feel every inch of you."

Within seconds he had cast off the fabric, and had lined himself up with her entrance. He paused briefly to ensure she was sure of her decision before pushing inside. They started out at a slow pace before Klaus gave in to her request and began thrusting in and out faster. When he sensed she was close his thumb drew quick circles over her clit.

Waves of pleasure crested before breaking as stars exploded behind her eyes. She had barely come down when Klaus withdrew. Her protest turned into a squeal when he flipped her onto her stomach. She moaned his name when he lifted her hips and enveloped his cock in her quivering pussy. She couldn't recall ever feeling this full; it was as if he had been made perfectly for her.

She braced her hands against the carpet and began to meet him thrust for thrust. Within moments they had bypassed human speed.

As they reached vampire speed Klaus felt his own release approaching. He shifted her hips just enough so that every hard thrust hit her g-spot.

Caroline's vision went white as she came apart with a silent scream. She vaguely heard Klaus growl her name when he spilled his warm seed deep inside of her trembling body.

Caroline collapsed against the rug and curled against his chest when he joined her.

He wrapped an arm around her twitching frame before asking, breathlessly: "What happened to not rushing into anything?"

"That was never going to last long," Caroline chuckled. The vibrations reverberated through him as he laughed.

"Well in that case," Klaus tilted her chin up to give her a slow, languid kiss, "are you ready for round two?"

Caroline wordlessly straddled him and sank down on his erection with a small smirk.

* * *

Elena stood over the railing and shivered. The worst of the storm had passed leaving roughly eight inches of snow in the courtyard. Her arms crossed over her bump as watched the light flakes slowly drift down to settle atop the undisturbed blanket of white.

She found the sight too magical to walk away from.

Something soft and warm covered her shoulders. She glanced down to see her favorite blue throw wrapped around her. Elena leaned back against Elijah when his arms wrapped around her. She felt his low voice rumble in his chest.

"What?" She didn't recognize the language he had spoken; save one word.

"I said: 'beloved, you don't know when to come in from the snow'." He pressed a kiss to her hair.

"It's too beautiful to go inside," Elena grinned at the flakes that landed on her outstretched hand. "What language was that?"

"Old Norse; it was the language I grew up with."

"It's lovely," she whispered, "I think I've heard Kol use it."

"You have," he pressed another kiss to her temple. "I referred to you as 'elskede' which means 'beloved', and Kol tends to call Lexa 'elskling' which translates to 'darling'. They are very similar."

"Speaking of Lexa," she hummed, "she found out what we're having." Elena flattened her palm over her belly.

"I heard the explanation," he admitted, "but not the results."

"Do you want to know?" She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Some people prefer to wait and be surprised."

"I think I've had enough surprises to last a lifetime," his hands slid around to hover over their children and grinned. "Besides Rebekah will insist on knowing, so the news will be all over the compound."

Elena giggled. She stretched up to plant a kiss on his cheek before breathing against his ear.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Are they boys or girls?
> 
> The next chapter will see a small time jump, a few days, and the arrival of Stefan.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO  
> I know this chapter is shorter, but it was just the perfect spot to end it. I promise that the next one will be longer, and it should be up by the weekend at the earliest; monday or tuesday at the latest.

“Are you planning on following me into class today?” Elena teased. She added some cream and sugar to her tea. She didn’t look at her companion.

“I think I’ll just make sure you get there safely,” Kol took a small sip of his coffee. “Elijah said to back off, and that class is mind-numbingly tedious.”

“It’s not that bad.” Elena adjusted her bag and took off in the direction of her building.

Kol fell into step beside her. “It is,” he held open the door.

“Maybe for you,” Elena giggled. “I can’t imagine the history of New Orleans is overly interesting to someone who lived it.”

“The subject matter is fascinating, if incorrect at times,” Kol stopped outside the classroom and eyed the professor. “It’s the instructor that I take issue with. He has this droning, nasal voice that puts me to sleep.”

“I will concede that point,” Elena smirked, “he puts me to sleep as well. Why do you think I got the tea?” She took a step into the classroom. “I can text Caroline to meet me after class; I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than wait around for me.”

“Are you sure?” He tilted his head and smiled. “Alright, but if you need anything, or Caroline can’t meet you, just give me a call.”

Elena nodded and made her way to a back table. She set her notebook and pen on the table, before taking a long drink of her tea. She grimaced at the sour taste and concluded that the cream must have gone off. She set the cup aside and tried to focus on the professor’s droning voice.

Her eyes grew heavy as the instructors voice buzzed in her ears. She blinked trying to expel the swarm of bees in her head. Elena found it impossible to focus on the small man as her eyes slowly drifted shut.

* * *

 

“Hey,” Caroline strolled into the library. She dropped onto the couch across from Kol and Lexa.

“How was class?” Lexa glanced up from the wedding plans in her lap.

“Class was… class,” Caroline shrugged. She tucked her feet under her on the couch. She listened carefully but was unable to hear anyone else in the house. “Where’s Elena?”

Kol’s head snapped up. His eyes narrowed; he weighed her expression for the joke. “She came home with you.”

“No,” Caroline shook her head, “she didn’t.”

“Elena said she was going to text you for a ride back.”

“I don’t have any missed messages,” Caroline lifted her phone to her ear, “and she’s not answering.”

Lexa set the planner down and placed her hands on Kol’s arm. “Let’s not panic yet. We’ll just do a locator spell and go pick her up; it’s probably just a delay in her service.”

Kol disappeared and returned a moment later with a map of the city and a small container of black sand. He passed the items to Lexa before fishing his phone from his pocket. He dialed Elena’s number as Lexa began chanting.

His call went straight to voicemail. Caroline tried next. They went back and forth until they had each heard her answering machine ten times.

Lexa’s voice grew harder on her third round with the spell. “Phasmatos tribum, nos ex versa… phasmatos tribum, nos ex versa.”

Pressure built behind her eyes. She pitched forward as a warm liquid dripped from her nose. Kol’s anxious voice finally penetrated the white noise buzzing in her ears.

“Lexa,” his hands gripped her shoulders, “you have to stop, little witch.”

She gasped for breath. Her hand swiped at her upper lip and her fingers came away red. Lexa didn’t have to look to know that the spell hadn’t worked.

“Someone’s cloaking her.”

“I gathered,” Kol tenderly wiped the blood away with a tissue. The tension slowly left his shoulders when her eyes started to clear.

“I guess it was too much to hope that she was with Elijah,” Caroline paced the perimeter of the room, “and had turned off her phone.” She ran her fingers through her hair and tugged. “Things were going to well.”

“The witches must have been waiting for an opportunity to take her,” Lexa quickly cleared away the remnants of her spell.

“They wouldn’t take her to the cemetery. It’s there known base of operations,” Kol shook his head.

Lexa sighed when she realized that the moment she had been putting off for weeks had finally caught up with her. It was time to face Sophie.

Kol took her hand and started towards the door. “I’ll go with you.”

“I’ll call Elijah,” Caroline was already dialing his number.

Kol felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on edge as they made their way to Rousseau’s.

* * *

 

“Cami,” Lexa leaned across the counter to address the blond, “is Sophie here?”

Cami hefted a box of vodka onto the bar. She restocked the shelves and eyed Lexa. Her clinical gaze did not miss the way Kol’s hand held hers.

“I haven’t seen you in over a month. And now you come back with an Original.” There was no malice in her voice; if anything Cami sounded almost amused. Her eyes landed on the ring. “When did you two get together?”

“It feels like it’s been centuries,” Kol grinned. He liked the bartender, and under different circumstances he might have told her exactly when they had gotten together. “Perhaps we’ll tell you our story at a later date. Right now we need to see Sophie.”

“She’s in the kitchen.”

Kol pushed open the swinging door and stepped into the kitchen behind Lexa. A loud clanging could be heard coming from the floor. They peered through the haze that seemed to float up from the open oven doors.

“Piece of…” Sophie coughed. She stood and violently kicked the oven door shut. She cursed and kicked it a second time for good measure. Sophie was readying herself to strike the broken machinery again when Kol cleared his throat.

“I don’t think technology responds well to violence, darling.”

Sophie spun to glare at him for daring to interrupt her tantrum. She startled when she laid eyes on Lexa. She took a wide stance and lowered her eyebrows to squint at the blond witch.

“If you’re here to beg for forgiveness you can forget it.”

Lexa’s laugh was humourless. She stepped forward to lay her hands on the vegetable laden island. Her thumbs brushed against the skin of an onion. “I’m not going to apologize. You were planning on sacrificing Elena’s baby.”

Sophie inhaled sharply, but she did not deny the accusation. Instead she braced herself on the opposite side of the island. “That order didn’t come from me.”

“Maybe not,” Kol laid his hand on the small of Lexa’s back, “but you would have gladly executed it.”

“While murdering a baby does not sit well with me, yes I would have done it.” Sophie’s eyes darted between the Original and the witch; her dark gaze settled on Lexa. “You’re keeping strange company these days. You couldn’t find another coven to join?”

“Every coven in the city listens to the Ancestors. I want nothing to do with anyone who would answer to the likes of them.” A vein throbbed in Lexa’s neck when her chin jutted forward.

Sophie scoffed. “We’re not good enough for you, so you run off to the Originals. What are you their pet witch?”

“She’s my fiancée,” Kol spoke lowly; there was a hint of a growl in his voice.

“You two…” Sophie sputtered. Her bewildered brown gaze landed on Lexa; the disgust was evident in her voice: “a vampire?”

“Yes,” Lexa’s brows lowered as she fixed Sophie with a frigid stare. “There are more pressing matters right now. Where is Elena? What have you done with her?”

“What are you talking about?” The surprised look on Sophie’s face was genuine. “Why would I know where she is?” Sophie would have loved nothing more than to have Elena in her clutches again.

“Because you kidnapped her.”

“No,” Sophie met their angry eyes, “I didn’t. Neither did anyone in the community. If we were going to abduct her we would wait until she was ready to give birth. What possible purpose would taking her now serve?”

* * *

 

Kol had barely stepped inside the compound when he was knocked off his feet. He blinked the black spots from his field of vision to see Elijah looming over him.

Elijah’s second swing collided with Lexa’s barrier.

“This may be therapeutic for you, but it’s not going to get us anywhere.” Her even green gaze met his fiery stare. She continued when he took a step back. “Someone took Elena after Kol walked her to class, and before she could send a message to Caroline. There is a two hour window in which she was taken; we already know it wasn’t the witches.”

“Then who was it?” Elijah adjusted his cuffs forcibly. “Where is she?”

“We don’t know,” Kol rubbed his healing jaw. “I’d suggest we start making a list of possible enemies.”

“What did you do?” Celeste magically pinned Damon to the side of a mausoleum.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” His ice blue eyes glared across the open space.

“Elena,” Celeste seethed. “She was abducted from the university, and it was not my people. That leaves you.”

“She’s gone?” Damon’s eyes widened as he continued to stare at the seething witch. He met her gaze in an unblinking stare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Who did it?  
> Also next chapter will reveal what she is having. All of the Originals know at this point.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.

_Elena’s eyes snapped open. Her weary gaze peered into every corner of the empty lecture hall. Through the gloom her eyes caught sight of a projector. The vintage machinery was pointed towards a pristine sheet that had been pinned above the blackboard._

_She placed her hand over her belly. A spinning sensation sent her to her feet. The pull to approach the machine was too strong for her to resist._

_Elena abandoned her table and stumbled towards the projector. The shite sheet acted as a beacon to guide her through the darkness._

_Her fingers fumbled along the edges of the machine. Her thumb brushed over a small switch. The twitching in her abdomen told her it was the right one. She gripped the switch between her thumb and index finger._

_Colour flooded the snowy screen._

_It took her a second to place the scene: a bright bathroom, a wooden tub and a beautiful woman. The arrival of Elijah brought the memory of her dream to the surface of her mind. Before she had time to dwell on the memory the scene shifted; Elijah had found Celeste drowned in her bath._

_She stared in horror as the scene began to change; woman after woman drowned herself in the Mississippi River._

_Elena counted nine different women in nine historically diverse dresses before the cycle of death was interrupted._

_The camera followed a young woman with dark hair pinned beneath a nurse’s cap. She carried bloody rags down a dingy corridor. Elena thought her uniform was similar to that of a First World War nurse._

_Elena blinked when the woman rounded a corner. Something about the blond holding a bloodstained rag, to the red headed nurse’s mouth, was familiar. She gasped when the woman flashed to press the rag to the dark haired woman’s mouth._

_“Rebekah!”_

_A moment later the two nurses could be seen dying in a sequestered room. After that the cycle continued; seven more women met their watery end._

_Elena heard a metallic click when the projector stopped. She spun on her heel to see the door had opened._

_Unable to shake the feeling that each woman was connected she slowly stepped from the room._

_Elena emerged in Lafayette Cemetery in front of a group of tourists._

_Elena’s gaze focused on the dark-skinned tour guide; the spinning sensation returned. Obviously this woman, she barely recognized, was connected as well._

_Elena wondered what kind of trip her unconscious mind was taking her on because at this point it was very clear that she was dreaming again._

_She followed the guide’s gaze when she smiled at a blond woman leaning against the side of a mausoleum._

_Elena was startled to find that she recognized her; it was Lexa. Elena broke away from the group and followed her friend. She called out for Lexa to stop, but she could not hear. This dream, much like the last, placed her as an observer._

_Lexa eventually came to a stop outside a moss covered tomb. Candles littered the steps._

_Elena watched Lexa’s mouth moving as a shiver drifted down her spine. Lexa’s mouth opened in a silent scream._

_The next thing Elena knew Kol was in front of her. His hand slid from her mouth to the back of her neck. The kiss was quick, but Elena could sense the passion behind it._

_A brief conversation was exchanged before Lexa followed Kol inside the tomb; a look of trepidation marred her pretty features._

_Elena made to follow. She slipped through the stone doorway and was relieved to hear her footsteps echoing on the wooden floorboards. She perched on the edge of the bed and peered around the familiar room._

_“This is a dream I can get on board with,” Elena thought._

_A feeling of warmth spread through her limbs. She shifted to take in Elijah’s sleeping form on the bed. The bright sunlight illuminated the tattoo on her chest. Her fingers traced the lines of the Viking compass, the vegvisir._

_His hand closed around her fingers as his eyes fluttered open. He sat up and ran his free hand through her soft hair._

_“Elena,” he kissed the back of her hand. He stroked her hair back._

_“Elijah,” she melted into his ministrations._

_“Where are you?” He searched her dark eyes with an intense gaze._

_“I’m right here, silly,” her eyes sparkled playfully._

_“You were missing,” he squeezed her hand, “I thought I lost you.”_

_“Never,” she swore, “I’m not going anywhere.”_

_Her eyes narrowed when the light shifted. Moonlight began to filter through the open window. A wet earthy smell was carried in on the breeze._

_“Elena?”_

_She met his concerned eyes. An owl hooted in the distance, and a soft creaking met her ears._

_“Do you hear that?”_

_“Hear what, elskede?” His arms closed around her waist._

_“The creaking,” Elena’s eyes drifted to the open window. The noise grew louder._

_“I hear nothing,” Elijah frowned, “not even your heart beat…” He tightened his arms. A moment later she was gone. Elijah was left in the sunlight hugging empty air._

_“Elena,” his panic filled voice drowned out the soft voices on the opposite side of the door._

* * *

 

Elena slowly became aware of her surroundings. She was lying, curled on her side, on a narrow bed. She drew in a deep breath and recognized the smell of damp leaves. Frogs sang lowly and underneath that she could make out the steady creak of a rocking chair.

With her eyes still closed she stretched out her legs. Her toes collided with something solid. The object fell to the floor with a loud clatter; the creaking stopped.

She tried to regulate her breathing to feign sleep. The door was wrenched open. Elena peeked through her lashes when someone adjusted a thin blanket to cover her shoulders. Her eyes landed on a familiar ring.

Blind rage set her blood alight. The burning desire to protect herself and her children had her hands moving faster than they ever had. She caught the edge of his sleeve and set him on fire.

She hopped to her feet when she heard a loud splash. It didn’t take long for Elena to exit the tiny, well kept, shack. The rage flooding her vision eased marginally when the vampire broke the surface of the river.

“Neat trick,” he brushed wet hair from his forehead. He motioned to the flames still dancing over her open palms before meeting her fiery gaze. “When did you learn that? How did you learn that?”

“Stefan,” she breathed, “what are you doing here?” She closed one fist to extinguish the flames. She left her other hand open just in case. She was a little afraid she wouldn’t be able to conjure them again. “How did I get here?”

“I came to rescue you,” he climbed from the river and wrung out his shirt. His weary eyes darted to her hand. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come quietly. I was afraid you had been compelled. I brought you to the Bayou after I had the barista put something in your drink.”

“You drugged me,” Elena screamed. Her hands met his wet shirt as she shoved him backwards. “You put my daughters’ lives in danger! What did you give me?”

She bent over the edge of the porch when the bile rose in her throat. Her hands clutched her swollen stomach as she heaved.

Cool hands guided her back into a chair. Her wild eyes snapped to him when she felt the ropes cut into her wrists. The threat in her quiet voice would have made Klaus shudder. “Untie me, Stefan.”

“I will,” he promised, “as soon as Daphne gets back from the car and removes the compulsion.”

“I have not been compelled,” her calm dispersed. She hissed through clenched teeth. _And here I thought he was the sensible one._

“Yes you have,” Stefan lifted his chin. “The Originals have obviously taken advantage of your condition. They’ve compelled you to believe the impossible. It’s Klaus’ way keeping you under his thumb, and making sure the Petrova bloodline is always in reach.”

“You knew I was pregnant and you still drugged me?” Her voice dropped to a dangerous level. For the first time Stefan looked truly afraid. Elena narrowed her eyes and a moment later he was kneeling on the ground clutching his head in agony.

“Not bad,” a woman stepped onto the deck with a wet sucking sound. “Stefan didn’t mention you were a witch. And don’t worry the herbs he gave you are harmless.”

“She’s not a witch,” Stefan grunted. He sat back and rubbed his temples. His confused eyes watched her carefully. “Witches can’t be compelled.”

“Well,” the woman shrugged, “actually we can; we just don’t like to advertise it. The rumor that witches can’t be compelled was spread by us; kind of like werewolves and silver. Any witch who spends time with vampires is on vervain; if she’s smart anyway.”

The sprightly woman glided to stand in front of Elena. She placed her hands on either side of her head before meeting Elena’s gaze with a sardonic smile. “Hi, I’m Daphne, and I’ll be removing your compulsion today.”

Elena braced herself for the pain. Lexa had been telling the truth; it felt like someone had taken a sledge hammer to her mind. Walls crumbled under the assault and she was left with several old memories and the strong desire to set Damon on fire.

“Still believe you haven’t been compelled?” Stefan crossed his arms and leant against a wooden post.

“Let me be very clear,” she rubbed her wrists when Daphne removed the rope. “I have not been compelled by the _Originals_. I am not a prisoner in their home.” Fire blazed in her eyes. She took a small step closer and mentally told herself to calm down until Stefan had been given an opportunity to explain himself. “Why would you think I was?”

“Damon called,” Stefan’s brow creased, “he said you were pregnant and that you were ‘under the impression’ that an Original had fathered the child… children.” He glanced at the swell of her stomach with narrow eyes. “Which of course is impossible?”

“It’s not impossible.”

“Vampires can’t procreate.”

Elena saw a hopeful gleam enter his eyes. “They can with their soulmate,” her hand rested over the bump. Her next words had the light fading from his eyes, “provided the soulmate is human.”

“And which Original is yours?” He felt he already knew the answer.

“Elijah,” Elena rocked back on her heels.

A small part of Stefan wanted to tell her that was crazy. He wanted to wrap her in bubble wrap to keep her safe, but he knew she was not his to protect; not anymore. The woman before him was fully capable of protecting herself. He couldn’t deny her claim because, from the start, even he had seen the connection she’d had with the noble Original.

“How did you know where to find me?” Elena’s voice cut through his inner monologue.

“Again that was Damon,” Stefan ran his fingers through his sopping hair. “He’s in town… and no he does not know that I am here.” He eased her panic with a shake of his head. “He wanted my help; I told him I’d think about it. I called Daphne, she owed me a favor. Honestly I thought it would be better to leave Damon out of my plans.”

“On the very real chance that his obsession with me had him jumping to conclusions,” Elena finished the thought with a sigh. “How long ago did you take me?”

“It’s been about four hours,” Daphne checked her watch, “you woke up faster than I thought you would.”

“Every vampire in the city will be looking for me,” Elena rubbed the back of her neck. “Can you take me home? Or are you going to steal me away from my family?”

“I have a few questions first?” Stefan inhaled. “And then I’ll take you back.”

Elena huffed and dropped into the chair.

“Are you happy with them? With him?”

Elena’s eyes widened at the question. She had not been expecting that, but she answered honestly: “yes.”

“Are you safe?”

“I’m the doppelganger, Stefan; I’ll never be truly safe. However, I am as safe as I can possibly be with them.”

“Last question,” Stefan’s eyes flickered. “Elijah’s your soulmate, I get that, but do you love him?”

“With all my heart,” conviction dripped off every syllable.

Stefan nodded. He offered her a hand and guided her towards a rented SUV. His hand closed around the handle and opened her door. “I have one more question.”

“I’ve heard that before,” Elena fastened her seatbelt. Daphne echoed her short laugh in the backseat.

“This one’s about me,” Stefan started the engine and slowly made his way out of the swamp. “Will you try to keep Elijah from killing me? I abducted his soulmate, and I don’t think he’ll listen to my explanations. I only wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“He won’t,” Elena exhaled. The memory of Elijah’s reaction to Klaus’ threat swam before her eyes. “I’ll think about it.”

“And Damon?”

“Don’t push your luck,” a flush rose in her cheeks, “if Elijah doesn’t kill him, I might.”

Daphne covered her smile with her hand.

* * *

 

“Was the sleeping curse necessary, sweetheart?”

“Don’t call me sweetheart, wolf boy.”

Klaus’ head snapped around at the sound of her exasperated voice. He left Elijah in the library and approached Lexa. She had given up with the standard spells and moved onto the strongest locator spell she knew.

“Wolf boy?” Klaus cocked an eyebrow.

“I was on the spot,” Lexa picked up Elena’s journal, “give me time I’ll think of something better.”

“The sleeping curse?”

“I have a theory, Elijah agreed to test. However, he was too wound up to fall asleep.”

“He set as many vampires as he could find out to look for Elena,” Kol attached an amethyst to the silver chain. “Lexa put him to sleep to try and find Elena and now she’s trying to find her as well.”

“I’ll wake him when I’m done here,” Lexa took the crystal from Kol, “hopefully one of us will have been successful.”

Klaus eyed the swinging amethyst; it made wide circles over the map of the city. “What are you doing now?”

“It’s called scrying,” Lexa watched the chain make circles. “I learned it from some witches in San Francisco fifteen years ago.” The amethyst dropped suddenly. “Damn it.”

“What?” Caroline and Klaus leaned over the table to see.

“It says she’s here in the Abattoir,” Lexa dropped her head in her hands.

“Who’s here?”

Every head swung around to stare with wide eyes at the door. Elena stood there with a young woman and a vampire. She smiled when Lexa’s hair whipped Klaus in the face. The absence of her soulmate was not unnoticed.

“Where’s Elijah?”

“He… He…” Lexa struggled to find her voice. “He’s in the library…”

“Under a sleeping curse,” Klaus finished.

“You cursed him?” Fire flashed in Elena’s eyes.

“I had an idea about how to find you. He agreed to test it, but it required him to be asleep.” Lexa held up her hands palms out. “I can wake him up. However, since it’s a sleeping beauty curse it will be a lot faster it you just kiss him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure this chapter was finished yesterday, but I found a snipped of a one shot I had written and it inspired another multi chapter fic.  
> Naturally, rather than type, I cranked out 8 handwritten pages for this one. It's a time travel fic featuring Elena, Caroline and the Originals. Lexa is also there but with a different backstory.  
> Anywhoo.....  
> Reviews?  
> What do you think Lexa's theory is?  
> I had some foreshadowing in here near the start of the story.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

_Elijah paced the length of the room. Since the light never changed he had no way of knowing how much time had passed. After a thousand years he prided himself on his mastery over his own mind, but try as he might he was unable to wake up. No amount of strength proved sufficient to open the door or the windows. He was effectively trapped in the bedroom._

_Elijah made a mental note to commend Lexa’s spell work when he finally woke up._

_He paused by the door when low voices penetrated the walls. He breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized her musical voice; in that moment the pitch was somewhere between amused and annoyed._

_‘Why exactly did you use a sleeping curse?”_

_They had found her._

_‘I told you I had a theory.’_

_‘Are you going to share it?’_

_Elijah inhaled sharply when he felt phantom fingers ghost over his cheek._

_‘I think soulmates share dreams,’ Lexa’s voice reached him from a slight distance, ‘a kind of lucid dreaming experience when they are separated by physical space. I used to them before I moved in here.’_

_‘How did you know I’d be asleep?’_

_A light pressure met his lips. When it rescinded the corners of the room faded into the darkness._

* * *

 

“I didn’t think you would let anyone take you quietly. I figured the only way for somebody to take you would be to knock you out first. Was I right?”

Elijah’s eyes slowly fluttered open. It took a few seconds for the room to fully come into focus. The first thing he saw was Elena perched, on the edge of the couch, beside him. She had turned her head to nod at Lexa.

“Yeah,” Elena frowned, “I think so. My dreams were strange, but eventually Elijah was there.”

“Not that it did any good,” Elijah sat up quickly and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You thought you were dreaming.”

“Technically she was,” Stefan slipped his hands into his pockets.

“Stefan,” Elijah greeted the young vampire with narrow eyes, “what are you doing here?”

“I brought Elena back,” he cleared his throat; it wasn’t a lie.

“After he abducted her,” Daphne crossed her arms. Her eyes flickered when Elena immediately closed around Elijah’s arm before he could lunge across the room to attack Stefan.

With her free hand Elena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and met his burning eyes. “He brought me back,” Elena felt her own anger dissolve as she spoke. “Stefan thought I was in trouble, and when he realized I wasn’t, he brought me home.”

“I had no reason to believe that she was safe here,” Stefan’s weary gaze cut to the hybrid leaning against the door frame. “I don’t think you can blame me for that, given her particular history with this family.”

Elijah ignored Stefan in favour of his soulmate. “That does not excuse the fact that he abducted you.” His anxious eyes searched Elena for wounds that he logically knew were not there. When he was satisfied that she was indeed alright he removed her hand from his arm and stood up.

“Elijah,” she crossed her arms when he flashed across the room and pinned Stefan to the wall. “Don’t kill him; his heart was in the right place.”

“How about maiming?” The capillaries under his eyes writhed as the irises turned red. Elijah pressed his arm firmly against Stefan’s windpipe; his efforts had Stefan’s face quickly turning purple as his eyes bulged.

Elena opened her mouth to respond. Her words turned into a shriek when a blur circled the room.

Glass and wood splintered under Elijah’s back as his weight was thrown on the coffee table. Elena felt the sharp sting as the fragments embedded themselves in her legs. A few managed to catch in her arms when she threw her arms up to protect the babies. She pulled out a two inch splinter of wood from her forearm; her mouth watered when she smelt the rich copper. She forced her eyes to move from the closing wound to see perhaps the most bizarre scene of her life.

Stefan had been pushed to the ground behind a snarling Rebekah; her vampire features were on full display as she glared at her older brother. Elijah stood in front of Elena in much the same position. The rigid set of his spine told her he was considering going through his sister whose body language made it perfectly clear that she would not be moved.

While the animosity between the youngest and eldest Original was unusual it was not the strangest thing in the room. The strangest thing Elena had ever seen was Klaus standing between his siblings to play the peacekeeper; a role usually reserved for Elijah. If Elena were not in physical pain at the moment she might have found the situation slightly comical.

His eyes flickered between his brother and his sister. “Have you completely lost your minds?” He roared.

Klaus’ bright eyes focused on the laughing Kol; he fixed his youngest brother with a glare while he used his arms to keep a meter between Rebekah and Elijah. Had the siblings not been so focused on each other they might have teamed up to overpower the hybrid.

Klaus’ neck twisted so he could fix Rebekah with a harsh stare. “Elijah was well within his rights to attack Stefan.”

Rebekah’s only response was a low growl.

Elena caught Stefan’s eyes and found they were just as bewildered as hers. Her fingers fumbled over a piece of glass embedded near her ankle.

“There’s no use arguing with her,” Lexa regarded her soon-to-be sister with an analytical gaze, “it’s instinctual.”

“What are you talking about?” Klaus relaxed marginally when his siblings retreated.

Elijah turned to kneel in front of Elena. He swiftly removed the various pieces of debris from her legs and arms. The veins under his eyes pulsed while he completed the task.

“Instinct,” Lexa continued. “Rebekah perceived a threat and she responded accordingly. The same way Elijah did when you wrapped your hand around Elena’s throat.” She finished her explanation with a glittering green glare.

“Sorry ‘Lijah,” Kol wrapped an arm around Lexa’s shoulders, “it looks like Stefan’s off limits.”

“I was so looking forward to the maiming,” Elijah muttered darkly. He removed the last sliver of wood and closed his eyes to try and will back his self-control; it took longer than usual with Elena’s blood singing to him.

“If it makes you feel any better,” Stefan climbed to his feet, “Elena set me on fire and gave me a wicked migraine,” his gaze fell to his ex-girlfriend; “I’d really like to know how she did that.”

Rebekah fought the urge to lunge for her pregnant friend’s throat. Instead she drew in a ragged breath and turned to Stefan. “Why didn’t you just knock on the door? It’s not like Elena is a prisoner.”

“I thought she’d been compelled,” Stefan rubbed the back of his neck. “I had to get her away so Daphne could remove it.”

“That must have hurt,” Lexa winced in sympathy. Her curious eyes found Daphne. “Was she compelled?”

Stefan answered for her. “She said she wasn’t, that’s when I brought her back here.” He left out the last minute interrogation.

“Well actually,” Daphne interjected, “she was compelled at some point; otherwise the spell would have had no effect.”

Stefan’s eyes sought out Elena. “You said you hadn’t been compelled,” the hurt bled through his voice.

“No,” Elena smirked, “I said I hadn’t been compelled by the Mikaelson’s.”

“She’s been spending too much time with you, ‘Lijah,” Kol snickered. Elena was growing careful with her words. Soon she would be just as manipulative and cunning as her soulmate.

“Who compelled you then?” Klaus remained positioned between his siblings.

“Let’s just say that Rebekah was right,” Elena wiped her bloody fingers on Elijah’s handkerchief, “stabbing her in the back was not my idea.” She turned her attention to Stefan. “Your brother has some serious impulse control issues.”

“Speaking of…”

Elena cut him off with a fiery glare. “I told you not to push it.” She jumped when the bloody handkerchief caught fire in her hands.

“Okay, seriously,” Stefan broke the tense silence, “how are you doing that?”

“I’m starting to think it’s emotional,” Kol leant over to watch as the cloth quickly turned to ash. “You said she burnt you?” The flames cast shadows across his cheeks. “I’ll bet you were ticked off at the time.”

“I was,” Elena eyed the dancing flames that twirled around her fingers. The little blood that had been left on her hands disappeared in the heat. Her hands tingled pleasantly as if they had been submerged in warm bath water.

“What does Damon have to do with this?” Klaus backed off when it appeared that Elijah and Rebekah were not going to kill each other.

“He’s the reason Stefan’s here,” Elena reluctantly closed her hands. She stared at her hand in concentration while Stefan explained.

Stefan’s voice faded to white noise as Elena focused on the rage still bubbling in her veins. She willed that energy from the center of her body to her open palm. Heat raced down the length of her arm to pool in her hand. She let out a triumphant whoop when the heat unfurled in an open flame.

Elena blushed when she felt nine pairs of eyes land on her. “Sorry,” she cleared her throat, “I got a little excited; it’s the first time I’ve intentionally done that.” She frowned when she realized exactly what Stefan had said. “You didn’t mention a witch earlier.”

“It didn’t seem important,” Stefan frowned. “Why should it matter that Damon is working with a witch in New Orleans?”

“It matters,” Lexa frowned. “These witches don’t work with vampires.”

“You work with vampires,” Stefan’s eyes flickered around the room.

“I’m Spanish,” she smirked. Lexa let her accent bleed through her voice, “these witches want to kill the babies after they’re born. From what we know of your brother he wants the children gone now. Whatever witch he’s working with is defying her coven.”

“You didn’t happen to get her name?” Elijah bit back his anger and addressed Stefan.

Elena rested extinguished the flames and rested her hand over the flutter in her abdomen. Everyone turned to stare at her when she whispered the name that had plagued her dreams: “Celeste.”

Lexa felt her stomach clench with a nervous laugh. “There is no one named Celeste in the Quarter.”

“Well that’s odd,” Stefan gave the blond a sideways glance, “because that’s the name Damon gave me. How did you know that, Elena?”

“Would you believe a dream?” She bit her bottom lip. her hesitant gaze flickered around the crowded library to Lexa, Rebekah and finally Elijah.

“That would depend on what happened in it,” Lexa dropped into a loveseat and tucked her feet beside her. She leaned forward expectantly; her elbow rested against the arm of the sofa.

Elena took a deep breath before launching into a detailed explanation of what she had seen. She glossed over a few of the details; namely those centering on Elijah, Celeste, and a bath tub. She explained the women who had drowned…Rebekah and the nurses…and finally stepping out of the classroom.

“I didn’t actually realize it was a dream until I stepped into the cemetery. That’s where I saw you,” she motioned to Lexa, “I followed you to an older tomb where Kol nearly gave you a heart attack.”

“How exactly did I do that, darling?”

“You came out of the tomb,” Elena’s lips pressed together. “I couldn’t hear the scream… I couldn’t hear anything until I followed you both inside.” She frowned when Kol was unable to meet her eyes. In that moment he reminded her very much of Jeremy when he was trying to hide something from her.

Lexa glanced at her fiancé before telling Elena that the events she had described had indeed happened. She tilted her head to the side, “what did you hear in the tomb?”

“Nothing,” Elena shrugged. Her eyes darted to her left, “that’s when I found Elijah; and the sound came back.” Her wide eyes slid back to Lexa. “It’s just a dream right? It didn’t mean anything? With the exception of that last part; which I am going to remember for future reference.”

I’m not so sure about that,” Rebekah cut in. “I did kill two witches in 1919; exactly as you dreamt it. And Elijah did find Celeste drowned in her bath.”

“The gift of foresight isn’t a traveller ability,” Klaus folded his arms across his chest, “or hindsight as the case may be.”

Lexa held up her hand to wave him off. “It is a witch ability though. It could be that one or both of your daughters has it, and they are projecting visions onto you.”

“I got the sense that each woman was connected,” Elena shifted as the fluttering began again; it wasn’t strong enough to reach her palm. “That they were the same person.” Elena relaxed marginally when Elijah took her free hand.

Elijah’s brows knit together in a frown as he tried to think of how it was possible. He attempted to make sense of the fact that his former lover might not be as dead as he had once thought. His dark eyes shifted to the witches in the room. “Is that possible? Could Celeste be alive?” _Why would she want to harm Elena?_

Daphne was shaking her head when Lexa let out a reluctant yes.

Lexa made a point to ignore Stefan and Daphne’s shocked interjections. “There are several ways for a witch to achieve, the equivalent of, immortality. Most are pretty dark though; they delve into the realm of Expression… it would require a human sacrifice before the witch could jump into another body.” Lexa nibbled on her upper lip. “She wouldn’t have been able to complete the ritual the first time, but she could have possessed someone, and then started jumping. If Celeste is alive she might just be the world’s oldest serial killer.”

“If Celeste’s body had been consecrated she would be unable to swap bodies. Her magic would have flowed back into the earth,” Kol rubbed the back of his neck. Lexa nodded in agreement.

“She wasn’t,” Elijah’s voice dropped half an octave. “She asked me to bury her… the witches never touched her body.”

* * *

 

Lexa stepped lightly from the bathroom and slid between the sheets to curl against Kol’s chest. She started lightly tracing the lines of the vegvisir over his heart while he ran his fingers lightly down her bare arm. She propped herself up on her elbow and looked down into her eyes; her palm flattened over his steady heartbeat.

“Are you ever going to tell them?”

Kol sighed. He threaded his fingers through her hair and pushed it back where the curls had tumbled over her shoulder, “Elskling…”

“Mi Amor…” her thumb traced the line of his jaw. “There your family… I don’t think this is something you can hide forever.”

“I’ll tell them,” he lifted his head to gently brush his lips over hers, “after all of this is over.”

“Kol…”

“I promise, little witch,” he gently lowered her to lie back against the mattress and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Get some sleep; tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

* * *

 

Elijah and Elena stood together in the bathroom to brush their teeth before bed. Elijah watched her carefully; she had been holding something back since she had explained her dream.

Elena rinsed her toothbrush and placed it back in the holder. She peeked through her eyelashes to catch his eyes in the mirror. “What is it?” She turned and tilted her chin up to look at him.

“You left something out.” He thought he knew what it might be, but he wasn’t sure. “When you were explaining your dream, you left something out…”

“I did…” she tucked her hair behind her ears. “…didn’t seem particularly relevant with everything else that happened.”

“What was it?” Elijah took a small step forward and tilted her chin up when she looked away, “Elena, when did you have the dream first?”

“… Friday…” she chewed her cheek. “Although to be fair I didn’t actually see her drowning that time.”

“Then what did you see?” His hand shifted to gently cup her cheek.

Elena blinked slowly before explaining everything she had seen. Her arms crossed over her chest, and her lips pressed firmly together when she finished. “It made me feel a little irrationally jealous… and insecure… and I chalked it up to an overactive imagination; until today.”

Elijah knew better than to tell Elena what she had seen in her dream had actually happened in 1821; it was clear she already knew that it had.

“Why would you ever feel insecure?” His other hand came up to rest against her hip.

“Why wouldn’t I?” She countered; a blush crawled up her neck. “I’m slowly turning into a beached whale… and from what I saw of that woman she was very… attractive.”

“Elena,” Elijah bit back a laugh and met her eyes in an earnest stare, “you have no reason to be insecure.” His hands slid down until she was wrapped in his embrace. “You are undeniably attractive, and you are only getting more beautiful every day.”

“My body’s changing…”

“Yes,” he agreed, “it is; in the most enchanting way. I love you Elena Gilbert, if I thought I could get away with it I would keep you in bed all the time.”

“Probably not the best idea right now,” her hands lifted to splay across his chest, “what with everything that’s going on right now.”

“Your safety would be all but guaranteed,” he smirked.

“Still tomorrow is a very busy day,” she matched his expression.

“Fair enough,” he nodded a wicked gleam entered his eyes. “I will settle for keeping you in bed all night.”

“Why do I get the feeling I won’t be sleeping?” She gasped when he lifted her and flashed to the bed.

Elijah pressed her firmly against the mattress before he proceeded to show her just how desirable she was.

* * *

 

Stefan drove Daphne back to the hotel before returning to the compound. He only had to listen for a few seconds before he located Rebekah. He flashed into the kitchen to stand in front of her.

They stood in silence for a few moments before Stefan asked the question that had been plaguing him.

“What did she mean? What did she mean when she said your actions were instinctual?”

Rebekah stared into his green eyes and counted the beats of his anxious heart. She took a deep breath before revealing the secret that she had kept since waking from her coffin; since the first night she had dreamt of him. “She meant that soulmates are fiercely protective of each other; she meant that my actions were involuntary.”

* * *

 

Caroline glanced up from the bedspread when she heard the door open. She smiled gently at Klaus when he crossed the room to lie beside her on the bed; he remained quiet while she completed her phone call.

“Have you met a witch named Celeste?” She rolled over onto her side.

_“No,”_ Bonnie’s voice came through in a low whisper. Klaus could make out the sound of drunken chatter in the background. _“I’ll see what I can find out, but I don’t want to push it too much; I think I’m close to getting some answers.”_

“Thanks, Bon. Be careful, okay?” Caroline hung up the phone and dropped it onto the bedside table. Before she had a chance to turn over she felt his arm snake around her waist.

“I take it she has no answers,” he murmured against her neck.

“Not yet,” Caroline sighed. She sank into his chest and took his hand where it was wrapped around her. Within minutes she had dropped into a restless sleep.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

Caroline's eyes fluttered open to take in the grey sky outside her curtains. She frowned at what was looking to be a miserable day. Her frown quickly inverted when she felt a strong arm tighten around her waist. Klaus started pressing lazy kisses to the exposed skin of her neck as his hand dipped under the waistband of her lace underwear.

His skilled fingers circled her clit before dipping into her folds. She shivered and turned her head to capture his lips in a slow kiss.

Maybe the day wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Kol woke up to find Lexa absentmindedly running her fingers over his tattoo. Her weary eyes were glued on the dark clouds that churned outside the window. Kol bent the elbow of his arm that was under her body, and gently ran his fingers through her hair.

He pulled the curls until they were almost straight before letting go and watching as they sprang back into shape. Normally that was enough to make her laugh, but she didn't seem to notice. He lifted his head to press a kiss to the top of her blond hair.

"Good morning," he murmured.

"Good morning," her hand ran across his chest to pull him as close as possible.

"What is it that troubles you?" Kol's penetrating eyes met hers when she propped herself on her elbow.

"Mi amor…"

"Elskling…"

"I'm just…" she pressed her lips together, "…anxious about killing Celeste… assuming it's actually her." Her thumb began to fiddle with her ring.

"Why?" He knew she understood the necessity of the situation. She had agreed with minimal hesitation when the idea was proposed; not even Elena had objected. His eyes narrowed in confusion when she bit down on her lip; her gaze dropped to his chest.

"It's silly… you'll laugh at me…"

"I would never laugh at you," he swore, "with you, yes, but never at you."  _What could possibly be so ridiculous?_ Kol lifted her chin and met her eyes. "What is wrong Els… Oh…" It dawned on him when he saw the hesitation in her eyes. It was the same look he'd had shortly after being turned. It was a look that had passed over each of his siblings faces at some point.

"See?" A flush spread over her cheeks; she knew he had figured out when he understood.

"I'm not laughing."

* * *

Elijah woke up with a sharp exhale when he felt the bed shift dramatically. He blinked a few times before focusing on Elena.

She was still fast asleep but her body tossed and turned as she mumbled. He could see her eyes flitting back and forth under the lids.

He tried calling her name softly to wake her from the obvious nightmare she was having. When that didn't work he moved closer and wrapped his arm over her waist. She slowly relaxed against him before her eyelids slid open.

"Are you alright?" His hand ran up and down her side while he held her as close as physically possible.

Elena gazed at him through dazed eyes and nodded slowly. "I had a nightmare…"

"I gathered," his pressed his forehead to hers. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," she shook her head slightly.

"It's not healthy to keep things inside," he loosened his hold to allow her a chance to roll over. His arm tightened again when she was facing him.

"I know," she slipped her arm over his waist; "I just don't remember it."

* * *

"Could you chosen a spot farther from civilization?" Lexa grumbled when her boot sank into a particularly marshy spot. She pulled her foot free with a wet sucking sound and pouted. "I liked these shoes."

"She asked that I bury her," he glanced back at Lexa and offered a hand to help her, "far from the mayhem of witches, vampires and men; I gave her my word."

He led her through a copse of willows. They came to a stop where two trees soared towards the sky; they curved midway up to cross each other.

"And 'x' marks the spot," Lexa chuckled humourlessly when she saw the area. "You definitely made good on your promise; nobody would ever find her out her." She stepped forward and lifted her shovel. She hesitated when she saw that he hadn't moved.

"Elijah?"

"What if it is a coincidence?" He carefully placed the edge of his own shovel beside hers.

"Too much has happened," she reasoned with him, "too much points to her." Lexa tilted her head back to meet his eyes; a single drop of rain fell on her cheek. She wanted to believe it was a coincidence too, but she knew it wasn't. "However, if I am wrong I will gladly help re-bury her remains."

That seemed to satisfy him; with a single nod he began to dig.

Lexa used the heel of her ruined boot to force the shovel into the damp earth. Her shoulders tensed with the effort required to lift the dirt. She knew Elijah could have done this much faster alone, but she had insisted she help. No matter what Celeste had or had not done, Elijah had once cared for her.

Elijah moved at a human pace out of respect for the woman he had once loved. Elena, while jealous, had insisted that Celeste remain innocent until proven guilty.  _'The dreams could mean anything… they could be connected in a different way,'_ she had told them last night. That was why he was in the middle of nowhere with Lexa. If magic remained in her bones they would re-bury her. If there was no magic then they would take her remains in order to stop her.

His mind strayed to Elena when they were three feet down. She had not been far from his mind since the moment he had met her. There had been a time when he had found the hold she over him unsettling, but that was when he had been closed off; when he had been delusional enough to think he would never make the mistake of caring for another doppelganger.

Her compassionate nature had snuck up on him. Elena was kind and self-sacrificing, sometimes to the point of self-destruction. He had not realized he was falling for her until he was head over heels in love with her; he knew he would have done anything she asked. And so he did when she made a deal with his brother. He had made a point to avoid being home whenever she came to town in an attempt to distance himself and allow her to live a normal life. Running into her at Rousseau's had been a complete fluke; had she not been wearing vervain Diego might have lost a few vital body parts.

Catching up with her had been delightful. Making love to her all night, and again in the morning, had been one of the most phenomenal experiences of his existence. Watching her leave had nearly torn out his heart. He had promised himself that he would be there when she finally returned.

Now she was back, and she was his.

While there had been lovers like Celeste in the past, Elijah knew there would never be another. His brows drew together when he thought of her venturing of the compound today on her own mission.

"She's fine," Lexa glanced up at him, "she's with Kol."

"I would have preferred it if she was with a witch," he sighed. He gently placed his hands on her waist and lifted her from the grave.

Lexa watched him lift the coffin from the ground to place it in front of her. "Elena will be fine," her eyes were glued to the coffin as she removed the lid.  _Kol's the best person for her to be with right now._

As she watched him twist the unneeded ring around his finger, Lexa fought the urge to tell him the truth. She swallowed her words. Kol didn't want his siblings to know yet. She laid her hands on either side of the discoloured skull. Her eyes drifted shut as she concentrated on the bones.

Hard green eyes snapped open to meet intense brown ones a moment later. Thunder rumbled overhead. Lightening flashed in the sky to reflect in his eyes. The sky cracked open and rain poured down when she replaced the lid.

"Nothing."

* * *

Raindrops pattered against the black umbrella in a steady rhythm. She glanced at Kol out of the corner of her eye as they skirted around a rather large puddle of water. He was walking along-side her under his own black umbrella. The only sound that reached her over the rain was their footsteps which echoed against the cobblestones.

"Why exactly are we here?" Elena's hand gripped the handle of her umbrella when he came to a stop. She tilted her head back to look into his dark eyes that were so similar to his brother's.

"I want to see how accurate your dream was," Kol rocked back on his heels. "Lexa told me where she met the tour group. I want to know if you can follow her trail now that you're awake."

"Why?" She tilted her head to the side and observed their surroundings. They were back where she had spotted Lexa in the sunlight. It was hard to make things out through the heavy rain, but her feet knew which way to go. She could sense Kol following her. "I would have thought entering witch central without a witch would be a bad idea. Shouldn't we have waited for Lexa to get back? Why did she have to go anyway?"

"She went with Elijah to determine whether or not magic remained in Celeste's bones," Kol's eyes darted over the passing tombs; they were getting close. "There would be no point in bringing her body back to town if she's not actually behind this."

"I still think we should have waited," Elena chewed her lip. She paused to stare at the spot where Lexa and Kol had kissed. She walked the rest of the way to the moss covered tomb. "I might be able to incapacitate a vampire, but I don't know what good I'll be against a witch; and they tend to travel in packs." Elena hid her nerves behind a joke.

"I thought that was werewolves," Kol smirked. His flickering eyes were focused on the name engraved above the stone door: Gatreaux. He reached for his buzzing cell phone. "Don't worry, 'Lena, you're perfectly safe with me." He ignored her sceptical look.

**ELSKLING:**  no trace. I know a way to force her back in her own body, but need a way to trap her there and keep her from jumping.

**KOL:**  I may have something.

* * *

"You said you had a plan?" Elijah asked once they had settled back into Klaus' SUV. He watched her wring out her sopping curls; the water dripped onto the leather upholstery. Elijah smoothed back his own dripping hair. He thought she looked a little satisfied when she left a wet stain on the seat.

"Yup," Lexa shifted in her wet clothes. The seats would wipe down, but the mud would definitely settle on the floor mats. She glanced over her shoulder to see the coffin in the back; they'd had to lower the seats to fit it in the back. "After the spell, the next time she jumps, she'll be forced back into her original body."

"Remind me why we can't kill her now," Elijah gripped the steering wheel. He drove quickly back to civilization. Now that he knew Celeste was behind a threat to Elena and his children, because if Damon was involved there was definitely a threat, he wanted her dead. He wanted her dead more than he wanted an explanation for her actions.

"She could just jump again," Lexa pointed out.

"And we would be back where we started."

"Precisely," she checked her phone for service. "All we need now is a way to keep her from possessing someone else, before we figure out what to do with her anyway." She sent a message off to Kol and smiled when he swiftly responded. Lexa wasn't surprised he had something. After a thousand years he was bound to; it was likely to be in the playhouse.

"Do you have any idea how to do that?" He steered them onto a side road to lead them back to town.

"Kol seems to have an idea."

**MI AMOR:** Other than that how was the trip?

**LEXA:** Good. I'm soaking wet though.

**MI AMOR:** I can do something about that ;)

**LEXA:** That is not what I meant, lol ;) Elijah and I are both wet.

**MI AMOR:** *gasp* should Elena and I be jealous? ;)

**LEXA:** You're incorrigible. I'll see you at home. Love you 3 3

**MI AMOR:** 3 U 2, my little witch.

* * *

Elena stepped around Kol. Her fingers slid out from the safety of the umbrella to trail across the stone door. She couldn't understand Kol's sharp intake of breath; the tomb seemed perfectly normal from the outside, but then… so did her pregnancy. She looked over her shoulder and caught Kol's furtive eyes.

"What's so special about this place?" Her hand fell to rest over the swarm of butterflies in her stomach. She was starting to think that this was the babies' way of telling her something; she just didn't know what. Eventually she would be able to feel the motion against her hand.

"It's not a tomb." Kol finished a text before striding forward to open the door. He heard Elena gasp when he led her into the candlelit room; he had wordlessly set them off from outside giving the impression that they had been burning for hours. "It was my playhouse a century ago; some witches I ran with used it to make magical objects."

"What's it used for now?" Elena's sharp eyes noticed the lack of dust.

"Storage," Kol moved towards a shelf, "research," he nodded to the books on the daybed. "It's a great place to get away from Nik for a while; it seems like the only place Lexa and I can get some peace and quiet."

"Why'd you bring me inside?" Elena sat her umbrella against the stone wall. She stepped up to run her hands over a few objects. Her fingers closed around the hilt of an antique gold dagger that looked strangely familiar. Her eyes sought Kol as he continued to rummage through the shelves. "You didn't have to reveal your hideaway."

"Lexa confirmed Celeste was not in her body," Kol leaned back to look at her. "We need a way to keep her from jumping again. A hundred years ago, give or take, Mary Alice Claire made a pair of shackles for me designed to bind a witch's power."

"Well then," Elena pursed her lips together, "let me help you find them." She couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't telling her something; but it didn't seem like vital knowledge so she let it go… for now. After all, Kol had been nothing but helpful to her; he had painstakingly researched ways to teach her, been her Guinea pig for a few spells, and not gotten mad at her when she set him on fire.

Twenty minutes later it became abundantly clear that several objects had gone missing over the years; including the shackles. Elena sighed as they headed towards the exit.

"I heard a large group of dark objects wound up with the O'Connell's," Kol mused. "They might have wound up there." He made sure her umbrella was open before leading her towards the church.

Elena cocked her head to the side. "Kol?"

"Hmm…"

"Do you ever miss it?" Elena fiddled with her locket.

"Miss what, darling?"

She waited until she caught his perplexed haze. "Do you ever miss being a witch?"

* * *

"The quickest way to force Celeste to jump would be to kill her most recent host," Elijah maneuvered through the vacant streets. The rain had driven all but a few indoors. He saw Lexa begin to twirl her engagement ring around her finger. She had been theorizing ways to enact the plan.

She started when he spoke. She had spent so much time alone over the centuries that she had gotten into the habit of thinking out loud. Lexa hadn't even realized that she was speaking until he brokered the suggestion; she didn't realize she had grown that comfortable in his presence.

"I'd like to avoid that option, if possible," she chewed her lip. "Celeste may deserve to die, but the woman she is possessing does not." Her eyes fell to her lap.

Lexa cursed her traitorous heart when it skipped a beat. She knew that if he were to look at her he would see the displeasure in her body; the fear that had hunched her shoulders. From the corner of her eye she observed the slow turn of his head. She blushed under his gaze.

"Do you truly believe that she can be saved?" Elijah turned back to the road; he watched her from the corner of his eye.

"Yes," her verbal response was whispered as her mind screamed no.

She knew in her heart that Celeste would have made sure to do away with Sabine upon possession. Lexa was also not one hundred percent sure it was Sabine that was being possessed. After all there had been many people in the cemetery that day. She knew her heart had betrayed her again when she caught the uptick in his.

"You're lying," Elijah lifted one hand to gesture to her, "to my face."

"Technically I'm facing the road," she shrugged.

"Lexa," he sighed, "why are you hesitating?"

"I'm not…"

"You are," he cut her off as they passed the church. "You and I both know that Celeste needs to die… we may not completely understand her motives, but the only way to stop her is to kill her. You said as much last night. Why do you hesitate?"

"Because…" she ran her fingers through her wet curls; the rain water had practically doubled the length of her hair. "I'm not sure we have the right host… I don't want that death on my conscious; especially if we have the wrong person."

"Stefan is going to meet up with Damon to identify the witch," he frowned. "We will not act until we are certain. Lexa?"

She chewed her bottom lip in the ensuing silence before admitting her deep dark secret. "I've never… never k-killed anyone before."

She waited a beat to see if he would laugh at the absurdity of her statement; when he said nothing she continued.

"The thought of ending someone's life, no matter how necessary it might be, feels wrong to me." She had spent 300 years safe guarding human life whenever the opportunity arose… she had nurtured it and protected it even after she had realized that she was no longer completely human. "I don't think that being immortal gives me the right to end someone's life."

"You do realize that we have taken many lives over the centuries?" Elijah frowned.  _She must think us monsters, but if that is the case why has she stayed?_

"There are shades of grey, Elijah," Lexa spun in her seat to face him. "in the beginning you killed because you didn't realize there was another way. I was never forced to do that; my survival didn't depend on the life blood of others. You don't strike me as the type to kill for sport. Kol may go off from time to time, but more often than not there is a reason for it."

"You're not opposed to the act," he surmised as he pulled into the garage, "you are opposed to taking part in it yourself."

"Yes," her heart beat out a steady rhythm as she met his brown eyes in an unblinking stare.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was meant to have so much more in it, but I was getting dangerously close to that point where the chapter would have been far to long.
> 
> I feel like Kol would embrace the texting trends of the 21st century quickly.
> 
> Let me know what you think.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

Klaus locked the safe in his studio before speeding upstairs to Kol's bedroom. Everyone else had already left the compound. He adjusted the bow on the box before leaving an envelope on top if it and leaving the room.

* * *

Stefan double checked the time: 11:42. He had called Damon an hour before to set up a meeting. Elena had been right in her assessment; Elijah had every vampire in the city looking for her last night. If it hadn't been for Daphne they would have never made it back to the compound without getting caught. Elijah had called off the search after matters had been settled.

His minds strayed to the events of the previous night. He was certain Elijah would have done some real damage, and that Elena would have let him. The only reason he was sitting in one piece at that moment was Rebekah: his soulmate. He turned the word over in his mind. He knew he had loved her many years ago, and he definitely had lingering feelings for her now. Those emotions had come as quite a shock when Klaus had removed his compulsion back in Mystic Falls.

Could they move past that? Could they find a way back to each other after everything they had gone through? Could she forgive him for the plots he had been a part of; the plots against her family? Rebekah seemed to have forgiven Elena, but then again as Elijah's soulmate Elena was 'off limits' as Kol has so eloquently put it.

In the end it had been Rebekah who had explained what they were to each other. She had told him how soulmates were fiercely protective of each other, how they shared each other's strengths. She had told him how Lexa and Elena were all but immortal, how Elijah and Kol could father children, and how they were likely any number of abilities being shared between the couples. It wasn't until she had explained the shared dreams again that Stefan truly believed her. Even when he had been with Elena he had dreamt of the blonde Original. He had dreamt of her before he remembered who she was ever since she had emerged from that coffin.

If he didn't know about Mikael than Stefan might have been angrier with Klaus for what he had done. As it was he could forgive the Original; he had been trying to save his sister. He had compelled Stefan so that Mikael couldn't use him to find the siblings; in his own twisted way he had been protecting Stefan as well.

Thinking of the hybrid Stefan paused to listen; he heard no sign of him. Stefan peered into each corner of the abandoned speakeasy and again found no trace. He knew Klaus was there though. He had followed behind to identify the witch known as Celeste; with any luck she would accompany Damon.

Floorboards creaked behind him. Stefan immediately recognized the scent of his brother, but the heady mix of rose and honeysuckle eluded him.

"Hello, brother."

Stefan spun on his heel. He smiled tightly at Damon and turned to the woman. She was almost as tall as Damon with wavy brown hair and rich chocolate skin. She wore several large rings accompanied by bracelets and layered necklaces. Her clothes were bohemian in style; she was a typical witch of the French Quarter coven. Stefan could only hope that Klaus had seen her and recognized her face.

"Damon," he greeted. Stefan inclined his head to the woman, "who's your new friend?"

She surprised him by striding forward and offering her hand. "My name is Celeste du Bois," her sharp eyes roamed his face, "and you are the other brother in love with Elena Gilbert."

Stefan rolled his eyes and sighed. Was it too much to hope that she would use her host's name?

"I am the other brother," he shook her hand, "but I'm not in love with Elena."

"Then there's no fight," Damon smirked, "I can have her. I just have to get rid of that child first."

_So he doesn't know its twins._  "Elena might have something to say about that."

"She'll get over it," Damon waved his hand dismissively; "she doesn't want to be tied to the Originals. If she wants a baby I'll give her a baby." Damon crossed his arms, "could you imagine what kind of father an Original would be?"

_Yes,_ Stefan thought,  _a better one than you._  He knew Elijah would do whatever it took to keep his family safe; including let a witch place him under a sleeping curse.

"How exactly are you planning on giving her a baby?" Stefan narrowed his eyes.  _Am I going to have to camp out in maternity words?_

"The old fashioned way of course," Damon waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"And you're expecting her to conceive again?" His eyebrows shot up. "Vampires can't procreate Damon."

"They can with her," he clasped his hands behind his back, "she's the doppelganger."

_Is that how the witches think she got pregnant?_  "Elena would never forgive you for killing her child," Stefan spoke in a slow voice; the kind of voice he would have used with a small child.

"I'm not going to kill her child," Damon had the audacity to laugh, "Celeste is. She wants to destroy Elijah and his family. I'll be the hero who saves her from the clutches of the Originals. She'll be all mine."

"She's not a piece of property, Damon," Stefan pressed his lips into a firm line.

"Elena does not require saving, either," a smooth voice had Damon and Celeste turning.

"You told Klaus!" Damon trembled with rage.

"You're lucky he didn't tell Elijah," Klaus shook a few drops of water from his hair, "or you would already be dead." His attention turned to Celeste. "I heard you were possessing witches… Celeste."

"Klaus," she flashed him a dangerous smirk.

"Tell me the real reason you're doing this," Klaus took a deliberate step towards her. "Are you jealous of Elena, love? Is that it? You're angry Elijah's taken a new lover. Yes, Damon, they are intimate… all the time," the last part came out in a whisper.

"I couldn't care less about the trollop warming his bed," Celeste placed her hands on her hips and stared Klaus down; "this is about revenge."

"Shouldn't that anger be directed at me?" Klaus grinned maniacally, "I was the one who killed you after all.

"And he never avenged me," she growled.

"You won't be harming Elena," Klaus' grin turned dark. "Elijah's not the only one who will do whatever it takes to protect his family. I'd kill you now but I'm certain he will want to do it himself."

"What a shame you'll never get the chance to identify me," her smile grew sickly sweet.

"And just how are you planning on stopping me love?"

The smirk fell from his face. Klaus' back arched in pain; he clutched his shoulder when a loud snap echoed in the space. The first snap was followed by a second and a third. He fell to his knees and yelled in pain. When he threw his head back to glare at Celeste his eyes were yellow.

"What are you doing?" He roared.

"You always wanted to embrace your werewolf side," she snickered, "I'm just helping you along." She turned to Damon, "let's go."

Damon didn't have to be told twice. The last place he wanted to be was with a werewolf. He hesitated at the door.

"Stefan?"

"He'll leave on his own," Celeste assured him, "self-preservation will kick in before Klaus completes the transformation." When Damon stepped outside but made no move to leave she shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Stefan could hear her retreating footsteps in the rain. He tore his eyes away from Klaus when Damon sneered.

"Don't be an idiot Stefan. Come with me now, and help me steal Elena away. We can be on our way back to Mystic Falls in a matter of hours."

Stefan stepped around Klaus' jerking body and crossed the floor to stand in front of Damon. He measured the seriousness in his expression.

"Elena doesn't want to leave Damon," Stefan met his brother's icy eyes, "she's happy here. She's safe here, and she loves him… he's her soulmate Damon."

"You seem pretty sure about that," Damon regarded him through narrow eyes.

"She told me as much last night."

"You took her?" His brows shot up in disbelief. "You had her in your grasp and you took her back to them; back to him!" Damon's voice slowly rose in pitch. "I'm going to do what I should have done in the first place; grab her and run."

Before Stefan had a chance to react, or to warn Damon about Elena, he had flashed away. A low growl sent a chill down Stefan's spine. He spun slowly to find a werewolf crouched low to the ground. Stefan locked eyes with the wolf.

"Nik?" He took a small step back when he found no sign of his friend in the slanted yellow eyes.

"Stefan," Caroline sped into the room, "what's going on? I saw the witch leave and a vampire flashed out. Did you learn anything? Where's Klaus?"

"Caroline," Stefan pointed, "he's right there. We need to run." He grabbed her arm and tried to speed away only to be stopped by an invisible barrier. "Shit!"

"She was never going to let me go…" Stefan yelled in pain. Sharp teeth tore into his arm. A moment later Klaus was torn off of him.

He heard Caroline yell as he turned around and snapped Klaus' neck. He fell to the floor with a hollow thud. Stefan felt poison spread through his veins as his eyes locked on the fading mark on Caroline's shoulder.

* * *

"Did you hear a howl?" Elena's skirt twirled around her legs. She stared with wide eyes at the doors of the church.

"One of the wolves likely got a little too close to the city," Kol gently took her elbow and steered her down the aisle. They stopped by the votive candles and waited quietly for the priest.

Elena looked to her left when she heard footsteps. A moment later she saw him crossing the pulpit. The once kind eyes of Father Kieran had grown hard. She followed his gaze to find it locked on Kol.

"Kieran," Elena could hear the grin in his voice, "I've heard you are in possession of a large group of dark objects. Elena and I are looking for a pair of shackles."

"I'm sure you'll understand my hesitation in handing such an object over to you," his pale eyes bored into Kol. It was very clear that he had no intention of giving Kol anything.

Elena stepped forward when she sensed Kol grow tense. She rested one hand on her bump and placed her body between them. "Father Kieran, please? We need those shackles."

His eyes slid to Elena. "I remember you… you got lost and came in for directions. The girl with dangerous friends." He glanced over her shoulder.

"Dangerous family," Kol moved to sling an arm over her shoulders. He smirked when Elena shot him an amused glare. "You're family, Elena, like it or not."

"Why do you need the shackles?" He watched the odd couple with a furrowed brow. There was no point denying they were in his possession.

"There is a witch," Elena looked up into his confused gaze, "who wants to hurt my children."

"We need the shackles to bind her magic," Kol explained, "We need them to stop her."

"Please?" Elena flattened her palm over the fluttering sensation in her abdomen.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Damon gaped at the knife in her hands.

"It's only a matter of time before they manage to identify me," she lit a few candles. "I'm going to make sure they can't find me."

She raised the knife to her throat. "Don't worry… I'll find you tomorrow." She plunged the knife into her throat. Blood spurted when she severed her carotid artery.

Damon watched in shock as the life bled from her eyes.

* * *

"It's done," Lexa grumbled. She covered the bones with a white sheet and stood up. She jumped when she felt arms snake around her waist. A pair of iron shackles was placed in her open hands.

"Looks like we've arrived just in time," Kol kissed her cheek and wrinkled his nose. "You're all wet…" his eyes lifted to Elijah, "…and filthy."

"We just got back," Elijah took the shackles and closed them over the wrist bones.

"I assume by the pile of bones that it was her," Kol nodded to the sheet.

"Indeed," Lexa leaned back into his, now wet, chest, "now we just need to find the host."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Elena whispered. She pointed to the sheet as it shifted to accommodate a woman's silhouette.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> Today was a half day, and a very laid back one at that, so I got the chapter done. I'm thinking that the next one will be up on the weekend.

A hand slid out and slowly pulled the material down to reveal a pretty face. Her eyelids shut tight to block out the bright light of the office. After a second her eyelids fluttered open and roamed the room curiously. She sighed when her eyes landed on Elijah, who had taken a protective stance in front of Elena, and pressed her lips into a thin line.

Celeste's eyes swiveled to Lexa. Her eyes narrowed in confusion when she saw the blond standing with Kol. She had expected to see three out of the four people in the room upon waking, if not shortly after. The blond witch was not one of them, at least not from this angle. She had meant to enter Lexa and the longer Celeste looked at her, the more obvious it became that she was not dreaming and that something had gone terribly wrong.

She lifted her arm to see dark skin encasing a familiar hand. Iron shackles hung on her wrists. She swore loudly when she recognized them; she sat up and clutched the sheet to her chest. She attempted a spell to remove them.

"That's futile darling," a voice drawled behind her, "you're bound, and not in the good way… oof," he grunted when an elbow dug into his stomach.

Celeste glared over her shoulder at Kol. She supposed it was a blessing that she hadn't taken over Lexa; she didn't think she could handle being held that way by a Mikaelson. The benefits of being a trusted witch in the Original household would have been great, but pretending to love another vampire would have been too much. She could see it in Lexa's eyes and body language; it would not have been worth it.

Possessing Lexa would have made terminating the pregnancy a breeze. She would have crushed two Mikaelsons with the seeming act of betrayal.

"What have you done to me?" A sense of dread prickled her spine when she heard her own voice.

"I think you already know," Elijah backed off when it became clear that she couldn't use her magic. Fear entered her dark eyes when she met his commanding stare, but it was Elena who asked the question.

"Why?" Her left hand pressed protectively against her abdomen; her right fist clenched in a tight fist to try and temper her emotions. She felt a now familiar heat traveling down the length of her arm. Her meaning could not have been clearer.

"Killing the child was revenge; the prospect of killing you was just a bonus," Celeste slapped her hand over her mouth. She was just as surprised by her honesty as everyone else in the room; almost everyone.

Kol felt Lexa shake with laughter against his chest. Elena's wide eyes settled on the snickering witch.

"Truth spell," she supplied, "etched in the bones."

"When did you do that?" Elijah looked at her with wide eyes.

"When you went to get the sheet," she shrugged. "Perhaps we should get back to interrogating her; the spell is only temporary."

"Why did you want revenge, darling?" Kol stepped around Lexa. "I should think any anger you had would be directed at Nik, not Elijah."

"He never avenged my death," she tried to glare through Kol.  _That would have been a powerful witch to possess._ "All because of his blind devotion to family; I wanted to make 'Always and Forever' the greatest mistake of his life."

Elena grabbed Elijah's arm before he could strike; she still had questions. Celeste may have spent centuries systematically murdering her way through the witches of New Orleans, but she had potential answers. And as long as she was being forced to tell the truth Elena was going to hunt for answers.

"Why do the witches want to kill our babies?"

"Power," Celeste spat, "the Harvest wasn't enough; they need to sacrifice a powerful witch and consecrate the body."

"Who gave them the idea to do that?" Elijah's jaw clenched.

"The ancestor's said kill the child," her dark eyes fell to Elena's bump, "the elders took that to mean consecration."

"That's not what they meant?"

"No," she shook her head, "the order was to kill the child before it was born. I was the only one actually following that order… I'll admit I was doing it gleefully."

"Why do the ancestors want the baby dead? Lexa chewed her bottom lip; she felt nausea rise in her throat.

"I don't know," Celeste frowned. "They never said. The ancestors can be vague that way."

"Well," Elijah's mouth twisted in a half smile, "if the elders just want a powerful witch we can give them one."

"Would you mind if I went to broker that deal?" Lexa whispered. "I'd rather not be present for this."

"I'll go with you," Elena took her arm. She and Lexa walked upstairs so she could change. Neither one of them noticed the box on the bed.

* * *

**MI AMOR:** It's done.

Lexa tucked her phone back in her purse and turned to Elena. She just putting the Porsche in park outside Rousseau's; her fingers drummed against the steering wheel in time with the rain. Lexa turned her attention to windshield; water ran in rivulets down the glass making it impossible to see the sign over the restaurant.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lexa reached for the umbrellas. "I can handle Sophie on my own if you'd rather wait in the car." Her stomach turned when she thought of how the witches wanted power so badly they were willing to sacrifice a baby. Would they have drawn the line with Elena's children? Where did it end?

"I'll go with you," Elena shut down the car and accepted an umbrella. "If I'm left alone I will dwell on what I know is happening at home, and I'd rather not think about that."

"You couldn't do it either?" Lexa unhooked the strap that held the umbrella together.

"If you're asking me if I'm capable of ending a human life the answer is no," Elena's fingers closed around the handle. "I sincerely hope that it's something I never grow out of. I mean I… I recognize that she needed to die… and I realize that there will probably be others over the course of eternity. It's the life I've chosen," she laughed without any real humor, "but I choose to believe that most of the threats against my children can be dealt with through negotiation; like we're about to do now."

"For what it's worth," Lexa stepped out of the car and walked with Elena to Rousseau's, "I don't think you'll grow out it… I didn't."

"Mmmm," Elena nodded slowly, "but who is to say what a mother will do to protect her children. I set Stefan, someone I consider a friend, on fire when I thought he going to hurt my daughters."

"I guess we'll find out," Lexa sighed and opened the door.

"Are you alright?" Elena stopped her half way across the floor. "You look a little pale." Her eyes roamed the shorter woman's face. Lexa was naturally pale, but now the blood seemed to have completely drained from her face leaving her as white as a sheet. "Are you sick? Did you catch a cold out in the woods? Can you – can we even get sick anymore?"

"I'm fine," she swallowed the bile that rose when a man with particularly bad body odor walked past them. "I don't remember ever being sick, but I suppose there is a first time for everything." She closed her eyes and took shallow breaths when a myriad of spices reached her.

"You were sick last month," Lexa brushed past her and approached the kitchen door.

_I don't think morning sickness counts,_  Elena followed closely. She waved to Cami as they passed and entered the kitchen.

"Sophie," Lexa cleared her throat and exhaled, "can we talk?"  _Why are there so many spices in here?_

Elena approached the counter where Sophie was angrily chopping vegetables. "We have a proposition for you," she laid her hands on the counter.

"Are you going to hand over the baby?" Sophie dropped the knife and wiped her hands on her apron. She scoffed and shook her head. "That's the only proposition the coven will accept."

"Your coven wants to consecrate a powerful witch," Elena's jaw ticked. "We happen to have one that's been amassing power for centuries: Celeste Dubois."

"She's recently deceased," Lexa focused on Sophie, "and you can have her to 'channel back' on one condition."

"What would that be?" Sophie leaned across the counter.

"You get Celeste, but you and the rest of the coven," Elena pointed to her, "will have to agree to never come after my daughters, or any other Mikaelson children that may come along in the future."

"We would want you to sign a contract to that effect," Lexa pulled some parchment from her purse along with a fountain pen. "This says that we will give you Celeste Dubois and you will leave the Mikaelson children alone. You'll have to sign in blood of course, and if you break it there will be consequences. Do you have to have those explained?"

"I think I can imagine the sort," Sophie snatched the paper and scanned the spidery handwriting. She looked up through her eyelashes. "The idea of harming your baby never sat well with me," she exhaled. "Take a seat at the bar. I'll call the elders."

"That's the best suggestion I've heard all day," Lexa sighed. She linked arms with Elena and walked to the bar.

They froze when they found the main floor empty. The semi-crowded restaurant, which had housed more than a few tourists due to the rain, had been cleared out. A slim blond could be seen flipping the sign in the window.

Lexa's stomach quivered with dread. Had Sophie sent them out into a trap? Were witches about to surround them and take Elena by force? What would they do to her for betraying them and siding with the Mikaelsons?

Lexa may not have found anything that would kill her, but she was certain the French Quarter Coven could find a way if they set their minds to it. Other covens had tried in the past which had caused her to run and start over. She had never had any real reason to stay, but things were different now.

This time she had people she cared about. Kol: she had spent so long searching for him. Elena, Caroline and Rebekah: had quickly become her dearest friends. Lexa had never had any siblings, but she was starting to view these three women as sisters… at least two of them would be soon. Elijah: had become an unlikely friend and ally. She was still angry with Klaus, but even he had grown on her.

No, this time she couldn't drop everything and run.

Elena listened carefully, but it was difficult to hear anything over the pounding of her own heart. She had to rely on her eyes now.

Elena saw the rain where it bounced off the pavement like rubber balls. Her darting eyes saw Cami flip the lock on the door. Were her fingers shaking?

Elena's furtive gaze peered into each corner quickly but found nothing. If this was an ambush the assailants remained hidden. She tried to summon her anger to into flames but her hand shook with fear; she crossed her arms to hide the trembling. Her wide eyes were vaguely aware of the fact that Cami was shaking to.

The witches of New Orleans were well seasoned in the craft; Elena wasn't sure she could fight them off if it came to that. Lexa was experienced, and stronger than most because of her age, but how many could she conceivably handle?

"Cami," Lexa took hesitant steps forward, "what's going on?" She rubbed her hands over her skirt when Cami didn't acknowledge the only two customers in the building. The only acknowledgement Lexa received was the sight of Cami's shaking shoulders.

_Some customer service,_  Elena thought wryly. Her head perked up when she heard the tinkle of glass. Her eyes landed on a bottle of bourbon. Her vision tunneled as she focused. Her eyes followed the line of the leather clad arm. The glistening material gave way to slim shoulders. Her eyes landed on the pale skin of his neck.

She took in his face in pieces, as if that would make his presence less real; as if that would mean he weren't really there. Thin lips were twisted in a mocking smile under a straight nose. Wet black hair clung to a pale forehead; the water made slow tracks towards wild blue eyes.

"Hey, baby," he downed a glass of the amber coloured liquid and poured another, "ready to go?"

Elena found her body was no longer shaking in fear. A familiar heat had settled in her belly; she silently tried to focus it while she responded. "I'm not going anywhere with you, Damon," she gritted her teeth.

"Sure you are," he grinned. His eyes shifted to Lexa. "I'm sure you'll want to get far away from her now that she's ended your pregnancy; you don't want to be anywhere near the woman who killed your baby. Come on," he sped to her, "if we leave now we can be in Mystic Falls by midnight."

"What are you talking about?" Lexa narrowed her eyes. "I would never hurt Elena or her children. The fact that you think I would is … ridículo … it's absolutamente ridículo…"

Lexa trailed off when she thought of who Damon had been working with. Had Celeste been surprised she had woken up in the compound? Was she alarmed to see Elijah? Kol? Elena? No.

Celeste hadn't registered an unexpected emotion until her eyes had landed on Lexa. At the time she had excused the confusion; she had assumed it was at finding a former member of the coven in an intimate embrace with an Original. As Lexa looked at Damon and registered what he had said she realized Celeste had been surprised for a very different reason.

"Mierda!" Her jaw clenched tightly. She swallowed her anger and the rising bile. "That perra was going to possess me!" It wasn't a question.

How long would it have taken Kol to figure it out? Would Celeste have been able to impersonate her well enough? Would she have succeeded in harming Elena? She certainly would have been close enough. Was that her plan all along, to wait until they were scared enough before springing into their midst?

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Damon's flashed around the bar and gripped Elena's arm leaving bruises that would be short-lived. He wrenched her arm as he pulled her him. "Let's go."

"No, Damon," Elena summoned all of her physical strength and tore her forearm from his grasp. "I'm not leaving."

"Why not?" He fixed her with a glittering glare. "Is there someone else?"

"Yes," Elena threw up her hands in exasperation, "but even if there wasn't I wouldn't go with you. You've been actively trying to kill my daughters, and to kidnap me. You compelled one of my best friends. And you've been conspiring with the Wicked Witch of the West to hurt the people I love. And on top of all of that you've been stalking me; you won't take no for an answer."

"Which part is stumping you," Lexa smirked, "the 'n' or the 'o'?" Now that she knew they were dealing with a vampire she was a little more relaxed. She had very little to fear from a vampire.

"We're leaving now," Damon growled. He reached for Elena before he stopped and clutched his head in pain.

Lexa held her arm rigidly as she controlled his pain. She eased up a moment later to ensure that he heard her. "Touch her again and I'll break your neck," her voice was deafening in the silent restaurant.

"That would be letting him off easy, if you ask me," Cami whispered from the door.

"Weren't you supposed to meet Stefan?" Elena rubbed the bruises as they faded. "Where is he?" Had Stefan gone back on his promise to help? Was he waiting to ambush them outside? No, Stefan wasn't the type to skulk in dark corners.

"If he has any sense of self-preservation he's far away from Klaus," Damon muttered. "Surely he knows better than to hang around a rabid wolf. They never have any sense of self after turning."

"What do you mean? Why would Klaus shift?"

"He got on the wrong side of a witch," Damon snickered, "and didn't get a choice in the matter."

Ice spread through Elena's veins and quenched the flames she had been summoning. She turned slowly to Lexa and commanded in a shaky voice: "break his neck."

There was a loud crack and Damo dropped to the floor.

Cami slumped back but her feet didn't move. "He compelled me to stand guard here until he left," she explained.

"He appears to have left the realm of consciousness for the time being," a hard voice sounded from the kitchen, "see if that counts."

Cami tentatively lifted her foot and found she could move.

Sophie crossed the floor to stand with the woman around Damon's limp body. She passed the contract to Lexa. "The elders found your terms acceptable; they gave me the authority to sign on behalf of the coven. As soon as we have Celeste's body everyone will know that Mikaelson children are off limits."

"We have a deal," Elena nodded.

"Just so you know, Sophie," Lexa tucked the contract into her bag, "a signature from any member of the coven makes the contract binding for  _everyone._ "

"Clever," Sophie scoffed.

"Honestly," Lexa inhaled when the room spun slightly, "after last night I'm not worried about you specifically. It's everyone else."

"The consequences…" Sophie crossed her arms, "… if one witch breaks the terms do the consequences affect everyone?"

"No," Lexa shook her head, "just the offender. We're not cruel Sophie; we won't punish everyone for one person's indiscretions."

"Speaking of punishments," Elena glared at the floor, "what are we going to do with him? I never thought I would want someone dead this much."

"There's plenty of wood if you want to end him," Sophie motioned to the others.

Elena shook herself when she realized that she was actually considering it. She couldn't do it, not out of affection for him, and it wasn't because he didn't deserve it. She was certainly angry enough in that moment. Elena still couldn't kill him because she couldn't take a life; she wouldn't kill him because he was Stefan's brother.

She shook her head and reached for her phone. "We have to find Stefan and Klaus. Hopefully Damon was lying and Klaus wasn't forced to turn… could you imagine a Hybrid running around the Quarter?" She cursed when the call went to voicemail. A distant howl echoed in her memory. "An Original should compel him… Elijah has a way with words, but Klaus is immune to the daggers."

"There is a chance Klaus is missing," Lexa pulled her damp hair into a messy bun, "better go with Elijah. Call him before Damon wakes up; he and Kol can bring Celeste as well."


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> This chapter got a lot longer than I thought it would: 4514 words! Wowza. I visited my sister this weekend and I think I caught something from my nephew, so the next chapter might be a little longer coming out; it just depends on how long it takes to kick the virus.
> 
> This is the warning for smut. There is some at the end of this chapter under the last line break.
> 
> Also the contents of the box are revealed.

Four seemingly young women shuffled anxiously in the silent room. The air hung heavily between them.

Apprehensive eyes flitted to the flaccid body on the floor.

Slim fingers twitched at every sound; emeralds glinted in the dim light with every movement.

Time stretched before them with no end in sight. The five minutes that followed the disconnected the phone call seemed to last for an eternity.

What was taking so long? The compound was close by; they could have been there in seconds.

The reason for the delay became abundantly clear when the bell sounded over the door to announce the presence of two men. Their clothes and hair had been dampened by the rain. They carried a long wooden box which they placed on top of two tables.

The slim woman with dark hair approached as the younger man opened the lid. She nodded and held out her hand when he offered her a small iron key.

"You'll want to keep those shackles in place until you're ready," Kol closed the lid. He moved to stand with Lexa where she stood vigil over Damon Salvatore. His critical gaze swept the room before settling on Damon with a glare. "There is plenty of wood here, Elskling. If you two were hesitant I'm certain Cami or Sophie would have done the job."

"I would have gladly done it," Sophie leaned her hip against the tables, "but Elena said no. she claimed compulsion was the better choice."

"I'd much rather kill him," Elijah growled. A vein throbbed in his neck when he glared at Damon. He turned to Elena as he motioned to the Salvatore. "Surely you see that is the best course of action."

"I disagree," she felt a flush spread across her chest. Her hands came up to her hips when she turned to face him. She was happy she had worn heels that morning; she didn't have to look up as high to meet his furious eyes.

"He was going to abduct you Elena," he took a step forward. "He was working with a witch who wanted to kill you and our children. You didn't object to her death."

"That was different," she hissed through clenched teeth. Elena's heel echoed as she stepped into his personal space; an electric charge filled the six inches of space separating them.

"I fail to see how," he exclaimed. "Damon Salvatore is obsessed with you. It's unhealthy and dangerous; he needs to be taken care of. He nearly killed our daughters Elena."

"I know that," she nodded, "and it's because he is obsessed with me." Her eyes flickered over his chiseled features. He always radiated a silent charisma that drew her in, but in his anger that charm and power intensified.

Elena silently cursed herself when she felt the beginning strains of arousal pool in her belly alongside her rage. The result was both stimulating and unnerving. As much as she wanted to she knew she couldn't blame all of it on her hormones.

"Would you two like some privacy?" Kol took note of the way they glared at each other. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would be able to smell Elena. And he knew that the smell combined with her roaring pulse was likely to make Elijah snap; angry sex was not something he wanted to be present for.

Lexa was too busy watching Damon to ensure he remained unconscious to tell Kol off for the highly suggestive way he had phrased the question. How long had Klaus been down? Had he healed faster because he was an Original? Why was it so hot in Rousseau's? Lexa could have sworn it was cooler when the place was packed with bodies.

"Elskling?" Kol asked when he saw two red spots appear in her alabaster cheeks; her skin appeared almost translucent.

She nodded to show she was fine. The movement stopped abruptly when she saw the room spin. Her body stilled completely in an effort to combat her sudden sea legs.

Elena and Elijah continued to glare at each other as if they had never heard Kol speak.

"If he doesn't know me he won't be obsessed with me. Compel him to forget everything he knows about me and he'll leave."

"If he doesn't?" Elijah's hand came up to hover over her elbow. He was drawn into her orbit by the raw power that came off her body in waves.

"Then I am done protecting him," she swore passionately. Elena broke eye contact to glance at the floor before returning to his eyes. "Damon is many things, but he's not stupid. He wouldn't come to New Orleans without ingesting vervain."

Elijah smirked when he saw the dangerous glint in her eyes. "That will have to go before he can be compelled."

"Precisely what I was thinking."

"Miss Devereux?" Elijah turned to look at her.

"You'll have no more trouble from me," Sophie swore. She used the key to point over her shoulder to the casket: "as far as I'm concerned we're good."

He nodded before bending at the waist to toss Damon over his shoulder. He told them he would be back and flashed away. He returned without Damon a few minutes later.

"I didn't kill him," he held up his hands, "I chained him up in the basement."

"Good," Lexa exhaled, "bleeding and compulsion will have to wait until we find Stefan and Caroline." She lifted her eyes to him in confusion. "There is a basement?"

"There's a hidden door that leads down," Kol frowned at Lexa when a bead of sweat trickled behind her ear. He gently grasped her chin and tilted her face up so he could peer into her slightly dazed eyes. "Are you alright, little witch?"

"I'm fine," she offered a weak smile meant to diffuse his concern; it didn't work. "Do you know where Stefan was supposed to meet Damon?" She reached up and lowered his hand before she turned to Elijah.

Elijah stood beside Elena, but rather than reach out to her he left a few inches of space between them. What was the real reason she wouldn't let him kill Damon? Had she lied? Did she have lingering feelings for the elder Salvatore? Why was it okay to kill his ex and not hers?

"St James Infirmary," he held out his hand when Elena passed him the keys. "Why is finding them so imperative?"

"There is a decent chance Klaus was forced to shift," Elena explained, "and that Stefan and Caroline are in trouble."

* * *

By the time Elijah parked the car outside the old jazz club the rain had renewed its efforts. He and Kol could have been there in moments but they would have been drenched, and they would have left Elena and Lexa stranded as neither of them knew where to find the infirmary.

Leaving them behind had not been an option. Lexa had insisted she was fine, but Kol had been reluctant to leave her. If Klaus had been forced to turn then having a powerful witch present when they found him was a necessity.

Elijah, still stewing in anger, had been loath to leave Elena as well. He wanted nothing more than to rip Damon apart limb from limb; maybe put some of Niklaus' medieval torture devices to use. He had never been an unnecessarily brutal man; he did not delight in the pain and suffering of others. Unless said person had seen fit to attach his family; Damon Salvatore was one of those people. He had killed others for less; granted they had been relatively quick and painless deaths. He typically did prefer to compel. He was not a vindictive man. He did not want to kill Damon's entire family, small as it was. He was well within his rights to kill the vampire, so why wouldn't Elena stand down?

"Is this the right place?" Lexa tried to see through the torrential downpour. Her eyes were glassy and overly bright; her voice strained.

"Yes," Elijah sought her reflection in the rear view mirror.  _'Just because I'm immortal… it doesn't give me the right to take someone's life…'_ Lexa's voice echoed in his mind. Did Elena feel the same?

Kol managed to pick up the sound of a body being thrown against wood. Soft grunts, low snarls, and moans of pain were all but drowned out by the rain. There were people inside, and at least one of them was hurt. He jumped out of the car with Elijah. They both froze when they heard the car doors open again.

Lexa and Elena both stepped out. They tried to open the umbrella but after becoming soaked in the process they gave up.

Elena's hair clung to her cheeks in wet chunks that made her feel like a drowned sewer rat. She paused on her way to the door. Her eyes fell to find Elijah's hand on her arm. She shook him off when he tried to take her back to the car.

"I'm going in," she pressed her lips into a firm line.

"No you're not," his jaw clenched. Elijah made to block her path. "You've been in one dangerous situation today. I won't have you put yourself in another!" he realized the mistake too late. It there was one thing Elena hated it was being told what to do.

Elena's eyes blazed with all of the fury she had been suppressing.

"You won't have it?" She shrieked. Sparks jumped from her fingertips. "My best friend is in there," she jabbed a finger in his chest before she stormed past him, "I'm going!"

"I don't suppose I can persuade you to stay in the car?" Kol's brown eyes were full of concern.

"I won't be coddled," her voice was tired, but her glare was full of heat. "Besides we're going to need a witch."

Kol nodded in defeat. He grasped her clammy hand and followed Elijah who had hesitated briefly before running after Elena into the run down building.

Elena stomped into the centre of the room and took in the scene. The combined prints of shoes and paws disturbed the decades of dust. Shredded cloth and blood littered the floor from the door to the wooden bar. Elena darted around the counter to find Stefan moaning in pain; two bite marks graced his forearm and shoulder. She leaned over, braced her hands on the bar, and anxiously called his name.

A scream died in her throat as her back was slammed against the dusty countertop. She clawed at the hand around her throat and glared into feverish green eyes. Her eyes bulged as she concentrated.

Stefan dropped to the ground as he grasped for breath. He lunged again and found himself in a headlock. He struggled but he was no match for Elijah's superior strength.

"This is why I wanted you to stay in the car," Elijah tightened his hold and glared at Elena from under lowered brows.

"I had it handled," she rasped and returned his angry glare.

"The hand print around your throat says otherwise."

"Could you two save your fighting for later?" Lexa slowly approached the struggling vampire. "Where are Caroline and Klaus?"

"Back here," Caroline called from the kitchen, "and I could use some help."

They stepped into the remains of the kitchen. All furniture and major appliances had been either removed or pushed up against the walls; the result was an empty rectangular room. Caroline had dug her heels in to help her hold the store room door shut. She offered a quick explanation when they came to a stop in the middle of the room.

"Klaus shifted," she grunted when something thumped against the door. "He has no control… he bit Stefan."

Elijah released Stefan when he stopped fighting and rushed to help Caroline. His eyes lingered on her bloodstained clothes and the ring of dried blood on her shoulder; there was no bite.

"I assume it was violent… the shift…" Lexa glanced between the two vampires. Her gaze didn't linger long on either of them; she didn't like the way they were making her stomach churn.

"Very," Stefan leaned against the wall for support. "Sorry Elena," he closed his eyes to shut out the spinning room.

"He should shift back once he calms down... that's usually how it works right?" Kol stepped between Lexa, Elena and the sick vampire. "We just need him to calm down."

"A sleeping spell will do the trick," Lexa murmured. She took a wide stance and raised her right hand. "Open the door. I'm good, but I can't cast this one through you two and the wood."

Elijah waited until Caroline had flashed to the other side of the room. He twisted the doorknob and flashed to stand in front of Elena.

Lexa locked eyes with Klaus as the door swung open. The room spun on its axis. Her knees buckled. She pitched forward as Klaus lunged and knocked her to the floor. She lost consciousness before she could invoke the spell.

"Lexa!" Kol held out his hand without thinking, "sove." Klaus' shoulders shuddered. He stumbled on his forelegs before dropping into a deep sleep on top of the blond witch. Kol quickly moved Klaus and checked on his unconscious fiancée. When he was convinced she was uninjured he looked up to find four pairs of eyes trained on him.

"Are you going to keep staring at me or are you going to get Stefan and Caroline blood?" He looked down and brushed Lexa's wet hair back.

Elijah took a small step forward and watched his baby brother fret over Lexa. He cleared his throat and asked in the most cordial voice he could muster.

"How did you do that?" Elijah's eyes flickered from Kol to Lexa. How long had Kol been able to use magic? Did Lexa know? Of course she did; she had insisted that Elena would be fine because she was with Kol.

Kol peered up at him; he saw Caroline pass Stefan an old glass with blood in it.

Kol hesitated before he sighed. There was really no point in hiding it anymore. If he were being truly honest there had never been a reason. He scooped up Lexa so that her head lolled against his chest.

"Soulmates share strengths," he shrugged before he carried her out to the car.

* * *

"Let me see it I've got this straight," Elena whispered, "you managed to break his neck after he bit you?" She frowned when Stefan nodded. "Why didn't you get his blood while he was out?"

Elena glanced at the spot Elijah had placed Klaus. He slept peacefully in front of the fireplace in the sitting room. She prayed Kol was right about him being back in his own mind and able to shift back upon waking up.

"I was a little distracted," Stefan grimaced, "by Caroline." He glanced at the blond who knelt beside the werewolf. "After Nik bit me he bit her. I pulled him off and was rather… flabbergasted when she healed on her own."

"Care?" Elena tilted her head. Water dripped from her hair and clothes onto the Persian rug. "Did you two blood share this morning?" Elena couldn't think of any other explanation. Caroline had to have Klaus' blood in her system, didn't she?

"No," Caroline shook her head. Her green eyes finally looked up from Klaus when as agonized scream was heard beneath them.

"What was that?" Stefan turned towards the door.

Elena crossed her arms over her chest. "Damon," she raised an eyebrow, "the vervain is being bled out of him so he can be compelled." If she had been expecting him to jump to his big brothers rescue she was sorely disappointed.

"Compelled to forget everything he knows about me."

"He won't be killed?"

"Not if leaves us alone," Elena lifted her chin. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop Elijah a second time; she knew she wouldn't want to. If Damon ever came after her children again she would kill him herself.

Caroline drew their attention before Stefan could respond. He was stirring on the carpet. Klaus blinked slowly and gave a gaping yawn that exposed a mouthful of razor sharp teeth. His head slowly turned this way and that to take in the room. His muzzle tilted to the left when Stefan placed his body in front of Elena.

"Klaus," Caroline threaded her fingers through his soft fur, "can you shift back?"

He frowned, as a wolf could. Confusion shone in his yellow eyes.

"Let's back up a bit, yeah?" Caroline sat back and crossed her legs. "Can you understand me?"

He nodded.

"Are you going to bite me?" She rolled her eyes when his eyes twinkled mischievously. She could almost hear his voice in her ear:  _'only if you return the favour.'_

He shook his head.

"Do you remember the witch forcing you to turn?"

The twinkle in his eyes extinguished as he shook his head. Caroline sighed and nodded to Stefan who launched into an explanation of the events while Elena bowed out of the room to change.

* * *

"Stop," Lexa tapped weakly on his chest. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut to combat the nausea brought on by the gentle sway of his arms. "Please stop moving."

Kol froze. He had been about to lay her down on their bed when she woke up. He looked down into her face and saw it was drawn with exertion. She took shallow breaths as she asked him to set her down on her feet.

"You should lie down," he bent to inspect her dazed eyes.

"She was going to tell him off when her stomach turned. She pushed past him and darted into the bathroom. Lexa emptied her stomach over the toilet. She felt strong hands rub soothing circles between her shoulders. When there was nothing left to come up she sat back.

Kol wrapped his arms around her when she started to shake. Shivers raced through her hot body.

He carefully helped her to her feet and quickly removed her wet clothes and wrapped her in a fluffy towel. He flashed out of the room and returned with a pair of warm pajamas and a wool sweater. He was helping her into the sweater when she came back to her senses and shot him a half-hearted glare.

"What did I say about coddling?"

"I'm going to reserve the right to coddle you when you are sick, little witch," he cupped her cheeks and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm not sick," she pouted and crossed her arms, "I don't get sick."

"In the past hour you have fainted and thrown up," he quirked an eyebrow, "you are sick and I am going to take care of you. Now, I'm going to make you some tea and toast. When I get back I better find you in that bed."

She sighed and nodded. She rinsed out her mouth when he left to remove the lingering taste of bile. She found it was a taste she had not really missed over the years. She closed her eyes in an effort to still her churning stomach. She looked in the mirror to find her emerald eyes glassy and ringed in dark circles. Her cheeks were pale and slightly gaunt. A shudder rippled down her spine as she turned away and stumbled to the bed. She crawled into his side of the bed, too exhausted to walk around, and buried her face in his pillow.

She opened her eyes when the movement sent a slim box and envelope flying from her own pillow. Her fingers reached for the envelope. Had Kol left her something and forgotten to mention it in the chaos of the day?

Her name was scrawled over the envelope in an unfamiliar hand. The fancy cardstock bore only two words.

_Truce?_

_-Klaus_

Curiosity drove her to sit up and reach for the wrapped box. She pulled off the bow and removed the paper to reveal an antique wooden box. Her fingers closed around the lid and lifted. Her eyes widened when she saw what was inside.

"Dios mio," she gasped and lifted one of the three silver daggers.

"Lexa?" Kol placed a tray on his bedside table. He plucked one of the daggers from the box and eyed the bottle of ashes. "Where did you get these?"

Wordlessly she passed him the note.

* * *

"You shouldn't have been in there."

Elena turned from where she had been peeling off her tights. Elijah stood behind her; his jaw was set and his arms were crossed. She reached around her back and tried to find the zipper on her dress. Her eyes fell to the red stains on his wet shirt.

"It was my decision," her eyebrows lowered as she pulled the zipper down. She glared up at him as she stepped forward and tore the dress down her arms.

"I know," he blinked when he felt her hands settle on him, "I had hoped you would make a different one." His confused gaze dropped to her hands. "I thought you were angry with me."

"I'm fuming."

"Then why are you unbuttoning my shirt?"

"Because," she pushed the sleeves down his arms and reached for his belt, "I'm also pregnant and hormonal," she purred and nibbled the shell of his ear, "and very turned on right now."

"Elena," he bit back a groan when her hand closed around his cock.  _When did she unfasten my pants?_  "If we do this right now, I won't be gentle," he warned. He was still angry that she had put herself in danger by taking an unnecessary risk.

"Is that a promise?" She breathed against his neck and squeezed him again. She gasped loudly when her back collided with the wall.

His mouth caught hers in a rough kiss while his hands tore her underthings to shreds. He pinned her wrists above her head with one hand and broke the kiss to meet her eyes.

She moaned when he rid himself of the rest of his clothes and ground his cock against her dripping cunt. His free hand turned her head to the left so he could suck on her neck.

Her head fell back against the wall when he bit down on her shoulder.

Elena blinked and found herself bent over the end of the bed. She felt his hands grip her hips before he sank inside of her with one powerful thrust. She gripped the bedspread as he began to move at a brutal pace that had her hands slipping forwards as she climbed to orgasm. Every thrust of his long thick cock had her getting closer and closer to the edge.

She inhaled sharply and whimpered when his hand wrapped around her hair. He pulled her upper body back. His mouth descended on her neck while his free hand came around to tweak her hard nipple before falling to manipulate her clit. After a few glorious moments of being held on the precipice she came violently with a sharp cry.

He flipped her around so she was lying on her back and buried himself in her quivering pussy again. His left hand gripped her waist tightly as he thrust in and out of her hard and fast.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me Elena?" He growled when her nails dug into his shoulders. "Do you know how unbelievably sexy you are when you're taking my cock in your tight pussy?"

Her fingers threaded through his hair so she could pull him closer; he groaned when her nails dug into his scalp.

"I don't know," she bit down on his ear. "Am I more attractive when you're fucking me, or when I'm taking every inch of your hard cock down my throat?"

Fireworks exploded behind her eyes as she came apart again. A loud buzzing filled her ears to subside a minute later.

"Definitely like this," he threaded his fingers through hers and held her hand above her head. His hips slowed to rock gently in and out. He lent down to kiss her as his hips stilled and he spilled himself inside of her. "Just like this," he murmured against her lips.

He slid out of Elena and rolled to lie beside her. He listened as her heart slowly returned to a normal rate.

"Why?"

"Why what?" She gasped and pushed some hair back from her face.

"Why are you defending him?" He watched her face carefully. "Why are you willing to let him live?"

He tilted her chin to look at him. "I have killed others for lesser offenses Elena."

"He's Stefan's brother," she shrugged. "Stefan is my friend, and Rebekah's soulmate. I couldn't take his brother from him when there was another solution."

"So, you don't have any lingering feelings for him?"

"What?" Elena forgot how angry she had been a short time before. Her arm slung across her stomach as she laughed.

"No," she shook her head when her mirth was under control, "no, I don't have feelings for Damon Salvatore. I'm not sure I ever did."

They lapsed into an uneasy silence.

"I'm sorry," she breathed into the still room, "it was a stupid decision, and I shouldn't have done it."

"I'm sorry to," he wrapped his arm around her waist, "I didn't mean to imply that the choice was not yours to make… that I would have stopped you."

She rolled over and laid her head on his chest. "You could have stopped me if you wanted to." He could have easily kept her from going inside, but he had let her make her own choice. And he had been there when it had gone badly.

"Next time please listen when I ask you to stay out of danger," his hand ran up and down her side. "I love you Elena, and our daughters; I was only trying to keep you safe." He kissed her hair.

"I love you," she lifted her chin to look at him. "I just can't stand by when someone I love is…"

"I know," he tightened his hold on her waist. She would always go to her loved ones when they were in trouble. "Your life would have been a lot simpler if the Salvatore's had never found you."

"My life would have been a lot shorter," she frowned and traced his tattoo.

"What do you mean?" He lifted his head to watch her. "I would think you'd have been safer without a supernatural influence."

"I'd be dead right now," she sighed and lifted her head. "The night my parents drowned… I was in the car. Stefan saved my life."

Suddenly it became clear why she wanted to spare Damon. She felt she owed Stefan a life debt. Elijah knew it was a factor in her decision, even if Elena was unaware of the fact.

"It seems I owe Stefan a great debt," his thumb traced her cheek before he kissed her forehead.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think?
> 
> Leave a review please. Everytime I get the notification in my email it brings a big smile to my face.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.

Lexa’s eyes blinked slowly. She looked from the half-drunk mug of tea beside the box of daggers on the table. Her head lifted from the pillow when a soft knock sounded again. The bed shifted, the mattress dipped and rose when Kol stood up and crossed the room to open the door.

“Oh good,” Caroline sighed and stepped around Kol, “you’re awake.”

“Caroline,” Kol grabbed her wrist, “typically people wait to be invited in.” A glint entered his dark eyes. His head jerked down when he heard a menacing growl.

Nik had followed Caroline upstairs. He now stood on the other side of the door. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. His eyes were locked on Kol’s hand where he had a tight hold on Caroline. Shoulders bunched and muscled rippled as he prepared to strike; a second growl ripped through his throat when Kol tightened his grip.

Kol’s eyes followed his brother’s gaze. He watched with wide eyes as Nik relaxed when he released Caroline’s arm.

Lexa shifted slowly to sit cross legged on the bed. She wrapped a throw around her trembling shoulders and eyed the wolf in her bedroom. A shiver traveled down her spine as a memory surfaced; an angry wolf lunged for her throat as her world faded to black. Was this the same wolf? She couldn’t remember casting the spell. She didn’t remember anything until Kol had put her down.

What had happened at St. James Infirmary? How did they get Klaus to sleep? She had decided this was definitely him, and he had clearly calmed down.

“What happened?” Lexa croaked. Her fingers rubbed small circles over her temples. She voiced a few of the questions that were running through her head in the hopes that the action would help to declutter her mind.

“Kol cast a sleeping spell when you fainted,” Caroline crossed her arms, “and then brought you back here. I’m kind of surprised he didn’t mention it.”

“I’ve been a lil out of it,” she slurred. Her eyes focused on Klaus. “Has he tried to shift back yet?”

“Yes and he can’t,” Caroline approached the bed, “that’s why we’re up here. Thought I’d ask if you had any idea what the hold-up was.”

Lexa rested her elbows on her knees and ran her fingers through her hair. At some point Kol had removed the elastic to keep her curls from knotting; the thoughtful act brought a small smile to her lips. She started to think aloud as she racked her brain for a possible answer.

“A powerful witch can force a werewolf to turn, but they always shift back after the initial adrenaline rush…”

“Not always, Elskling,” Kol perched beside her on the bed, “a witch cursed all of the wolves in the city.”

“That was nearly twenty-five years ago,” Lexa nibbled on her lip.

“True…” Kol gently took her hand and applied a light pressure between her thumb and forefinger. “Nik however was cursed by Celeste Dubois who spent centuries jumping from one witch to another.”

“Wait a minute,” Caroline looked away from the quiet display of affection, “the wolves in the city are cursed?” Her eyes fell to Klaus when he nodded his muzzle.

“You didn’t know?” Kol’s eyes narrowed. “You were bitten by a werewolf in broad daylight when you came to town. That didn’t strike you as a little odd, darling?”

“It’s New Orleans,” she shrugged as if that answered his question. Caroline sighed when Kol and Lexa both tilted their heads to the right; she found the way they subconsciously mirrored each other endearing, if not a little cheesy. “I figured it was a hybrid,” she explained. “Why would the werewolves have helped the witches?”

“Sabine… Celeste,” Lexa corrected herself, “promised them a cure for their curse. I thought she was bluffing at the time, but now…”

“Now you’re thinking she was the witch who cursed them in the first place,” Caroline finished the unspoken thought. “She used the same curse on him, didn’t she?”

“That seems likely,” Kol smirked at his brother, “but we won’t know for sure until the full moon; he could just be incontinent.” He shook with laughter when Nik growled. “It’s kind of tempting to leave him like that for a while.”

“Does that mean you won’t reverse the curse?” Caroline rolled her eyes. Klaus had certainly done enough to these two that they might take some delight in his current predicament. First he had been the, partial, cause of their separation and then he had been less than welcoming when she had come back into Kol’s life; it had taken time for Klaus to warm up to her and that had affected his relationship with the couple in a negative way.

Caroline didn’t blame them for wanting some form of revenge, but nobody deserved to be trapped in their own mind with the inability to communicate. Perhaps that was the lesson Kol was trying to teach him; this was probably the closest he could ever come to driving a dagger through his half-brother’s heart.

“It means we can’t,” Lexa supplied, “not immediately without the original spell anyway. And we have no way of finding that without knowing the name of the witch Celeste was possessing when she cast it. I wouldn’t have the faintest idea where to find that.” Lexa tilted her head back and rolled her neck from side to side. If the spell existed in written form it would be in that witches grimoire.

“It’s probably not a spell that was made public knowledge either,” Kol whispered. He reached to adjust the blanket as it slipped from her shoulders.

Caroline crossed her arms and sighed. She shifted so her hip was against the wall and tried to come up with a solution. Tension radiated from the warm body by her calves; she knew he wanted to say something. Wouldn’t it be just their luck if the one person who had any idea who the witch was couldn’t voice his opinion? She bit back a frustrated groan. Her eyes narrowed when a little voice sounded in the back of her head. In vain she grasped at the words that fluttered out of reach like leaves in a brisk fall breeze. A single leaf was caught and the wind echoed the one word in her mind: _Marcel._

“We can start making discreet inquiries in the morning,” Kol promised, “if that fails we’ll look into other ways to reverse the curse.” He wanted to wait until Lexa was better before they made any attempt to fix Nik.

Caroline nodded and took her leave; Nik followed closely on her heels.

Kol waved his wrist to close the door behind them and turned to Lexa. His hand pressed gently against her brow. He released a breath when he found her forehead had cooled off.

“How do you feel?”

“Like someone took an egg beater to my stomach,” she groaned, “the more I think about it the worse it gets.” Lexa flopped backwards on the bed.

“Shall I take your mind off it?” He lay down beside her and took her hand. His eyes roamed her pale face; he was happy to note that a small amount of colour had returned to her cheeks.

“That really depends on what you’re planning,” she grimaced and reached for the pillow with her free hand. Rather than place it under her head she clutched it to her stomach and rolled over to face him.

“What are you thinking about doing with the daggers?” He glanced at the box where it sat on the table.

She propped herself up on her elbow and looked over her shoulder. “I had three hundred years to think about what I would ever do if I got my hands on one of those. I had settled on destroying them.” She sat back up and lifted a dagger from the box. Her eyes searched each corner of the bedroom. “I might have something that will do it too. Do you know where my bag is? It’s in there.” The distraction was working.

Kol stood up wordlessly and got her bag from a chair in the far corner of the room. The years he had spent thinking of revenge she had spent productively; he wondered excitedly if it would pay off. It would be nice not to have the threat of a silver dagger looming over his head.

She had told him how she had cast a spell on the bag several years ago; in the event that she had to run the bag held anything and everything she could possibly need. He watched in fascination as she tipped the contents of the bag onto the bed. There were the usual items found in a woman’s handbag: wallet, sunglasses, calendar and keys. As well as several cylinders in colourful paper that baffled him, but he had seen the same items in Elena’s purse several months before so he figured they were normal. Then came the unusual items: leather bound book, an old fashioned radio tapper, several passports and a long box filled with a series of colourful potion vials. It was these that she went for now.

Lexa carefully picked up a thin bottle the length of her forefinger; it was full to the lid with a thick red liquid. She held the lip between her fingers and lifted it to the lamp light. She considered the contents before she nodded and climbed to her feet with the vial and a dagger.

A sharp tinkling was heard when she placed the silver in the sink. Slim fingers gripped the soft cork and tugged; she was careful not to get any of the volatile substance on her skin. The shrill smell of sulfur turned her stomach.

Lexa stood as far from the sink as possible. She extended one hand to block Kol from getting any closer. Her other hand tipped the contents of the vial. Her lips pressed into a grimace as the red sludge fell. A precise movement stopped the flow.

Kol glanced at her before leaning closer to watch as the metal sizzled and melted. He grinned and reached for her hand.

“What is in this?” His fingers tapped the glass bottle.

“Something you really don’t want to get on your skin,” she swallowed a lump in her throat. “Can you get the other two?”

Ten minutes later her shoulders dropped when the daggers had been reduced to a pile of bubbling silver. “Mi Amor?”

“Yes, Elskling?” He twisted the tap and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. They watched as the silver was washed away in a stream of hot water.

“Was that all of them?” She closed her eyes and leaned back against his chest. She inhaled slowly through her mouth; the smell lingered in the closed off space.

“All but one…” Lexa relaxed when she realized there was nothing left that could steal him away from her again. His next words had knots forming under her skin, “… two actually. There is one more in my oldest brother: Finn.”

His thumbs started to knead circles in her shoulders. “Nik is unlikely to ever remove that one. He would have to deal with Finn if he did. And Finn has been down for 900 years, so he would be rather… murderous.”

She assumed that Klaus had a very good reason for leaving Finn asleep for so long, but the idea didn’t sit well with her. Nevertheless she accepted his reassurances with a small nod.

“Okay,” she exhaled and walked slowly back to the bed, “I think I’m going to lay down.” She started to drop the items back into her purse. She paused when the colourful paper crinkled in her hands.

“Would you like some more tea?” Kol pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He didn’t miss the colour as it drained from her face again.

“Umm…” she dropped the item back into her purse and nodded, “… yes please.” She caught his hand before he could leave and offered a weak smile. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Taking care of me,” she let him go, “I know I’m not the easiest of patients.”

“I did tell you I would always take care of you,” he picked up the tray.

“And I told you I don’t need that,” she called after him as he walked out of the room, “but I do appreciate it.”

With the door swinging shut Lexa picked up her pocket calendar. She had only ever lost track of her period once before, but that was due to stress, and even then her body had moved like clockwork: timely and precise. She had lost track of the days, but she hadn’t actually been late. Her heart beat an erratic rhythm when she found the red circle around a date that had passed nearly three weeks earlier. She quickly shoved the rest of the items in her bag when she heard his footsteps in the hall.

“Thanks,” she breathed in the ginger. The combined smell and taste soothed her stomach. She dropped her bag on the floor and placed the empty mug aside before laying down. She mentally made plans to go to the drug store in the morning. If it was true than she was too early for a vampire to hear the heartbeat; she would take a test in the morning and tell him then.

When her eyes snapped open the sky was dark. Her nausea seemed to have abated for the time being. The read out on the clock told her it was four in the morning. She quietly slid out of bed and used the bathroom; she brushed her teeth before she slipped back between the covers.

She closed her eyes and attempted to go back to sleep, but she was wide awake. Lexa bit her lip and watched Kol sleep beside her. Her glittering eyes raked over his chiseled features and sculpted chest hungrily.

She sat up and carefully removed her sweater before leaning over. She peppered kisses down his neck; her tongue dipped into the hollow of his throat before she made her way lower. Her teeth gently closed over his nipple and elicited a groan. She grinned wickedly when he didn’t wake up and an idea formed in the back of her mind.

Her head disappeared under the blankets as she made her way to the waist band of his pajama bottoms. Her fingers carefully lifted the band down over his semi-hard cock.

She listened carefully to his heart, as it beat slow and steady, and his even breathing; when she was satisfied that he was still asleep her tongue darted out to wet her lips. She closed her mouth over him and felt him grow to his full length as his cock passed between her plump lips.

She hummed when he was completely engulfed in her hot mouth. She slowly withdrew and gently scraped her teeth along his length. Whenever she did she would dip back down and sooth the area with her tongue. Her hand closed around his base and squeezed as she sucked on the tip of his cock.

She let him fall from her mouth and grinned in triumph when a strangled groan escaped his throat. Her hand pumped up and down a few times as she paid special attention to the pre-cum leaking from his slit.

Her tongue ran from the bottom of his cock to the top before she took him in her mouth again. She felt the blankets push aside and a hand take hold of her hair. His hands guided her head up and down.

Kol’s hand tugged gently on her hair when tension coiled in his abdomen. He let loose a string of quiet curses when his orgasm ripped through him. When the pleasurable waves subsided he pulled her back up and met her lips in a bruising kiss.

“I see you’re feeling better,” he murmured against her swollen lips. A shudder raced down his spine when he smelt her arousal. He could feel the heat of her through the fabric which covered her warm centre; he knew without touching her that she was dripping wet.

“Much,” she purred. Lexa pulled away and tore her tank top over her head. She giggled when his eyes fell to her bouncing breasts. Her laughter turned to a moan when his thumbs grazed over her nipples.

She leaned forward so her mouth brushed over his ear and breathed. “I know what will make me feel even better.” She moaned when his hands gripped her hips and lowered her to grind over his cock. If there was one thing she loved about him being a vampire it was the minimal refractory period.

Lexa’s voice dissolved into a plethora of breathy sighs when he rolled her over and pressed her body into the mattress.

* * *

 

Warm fingers trailed lazily up and down her stomach. Intricate patterns were etched into the material of her camisole and burned deliciously into her skin.

Her slim fingers reached to adjust her pillow and scraped over the rough material that was clearly not a part of her bedding.

She peered through the slits of her eyes to see the coarse fibers of an antique carpet. A roaring fire warmed her skin and cast a golden glow on the hand that circled her waist.

She attempted to level her breathing as she looked through her lashes at the familiar hand. Unfortunately none of her vampire senses seemed to be working very well; it was difficult to focus with his hand slipping under her top. She felt goosebumps rise on her skin when a rumbling laugh vibrated through the chest pressed to her back.

She had a pretty decent idea who it was; her theory was proven when his warm breath tickled her neck.

“I know you’re awake, sweetheart.”

She rolled onto her back and opened her eyes to meet his amused gaze. His blue eyes twinkled mischievously as his fingers splayed across her stomach. The inviting sitting room, with the large stone fireplace, came into focus in her peripheral vision. It took her a second to place the room, and a moment to realize that there were none of the usual indications of a dream. Everything around her was very real.

She racked her brain and found that she couldn’t remember being apart from him since they had last been in this room. Her wide green eyes settled on him again as the smirk slid from his lips to be replaced with a small smile.

“It would seem we have some things to discuss.”

“Yeah,” her arms roamed over him quickly, “we most certainly did…” While she wore the pajama’s she had donned for bed he wore nothing at all. She supposed it made sense since he had gone to sleep in the form that he had, “… but first you need to cover up,” her lips quirked up in a smirk, “this is very distracting.”

“I could do that,” his eyes twinkled in the firelight, “or you could uncover.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and snaked his hand higher.

She laughed and rolled her eyes before playfully swatting his chest.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

“And here I thought you were the noble one,” Damon rasped with his usual snarky attitude. He lifted his head weakly and followed Elijah’s path into the room; he had changed and showered but Damon growled when he could still smell Elena clinging to him.

“I am still alive though, so maybe you are…” the chains rattled as he used what little strength he had to pull himself up to his full height and shook his at the Original’s approach, “…or you just don’t have the stomach for it…”

Damon cut off abruptly when Elijah dragged a sharp blade that cut him from the base of his throat to his naval. The gash emitted a steady stream of hot red blood before it closed.

Damon’s pained screams were among some of the greatest sounds Elijah had ever heard, and he had personally met some of the world’s foremost composers. Although it was still a far cry from the greatest sound he had ever heard; if he listened carefully he could hear it now: the strong steady beats of his children’s hearts.

He forced himself to focus on the matter at hand. The blade echoed on the cold stone floor when he dropped it in favor of Damon’s jaw; more specifically in favor of striking Damon’s jaw. Elijah’s hard eyes glittered dangerously in the dim light of the basement; his calm voice resonated through the room and sent a trickle of icy fear down Damon’s spine.

“I’m an Original,” his matter-of-fact voice concealed a clear threat, “show a little respect.” Elijah was pleased to note the fear in Damon’s eyes. “The only reason you are still alive is Elena; she asked that I spare your miserable life.”

Damon trembled with a mixture of fear and amusement. There was clearly no filter between his brain and his mouth; he just couldn’t stop himself from further taunting the man.

“I always knew she cared,” he grunted in pain when a fist connected with his stomach. “Elena’s got you wrapped around her finger,” Damon laughed. “Wouldn’t it be a lot easier for you to kill me and compel her? You’re clearly compelling her already.”

“I have never compelled Elena,” Elijah smelled the blood from the most recent wound, “nor will I ever compel her.”

“Why else would she be with you?” Damon rasped. “She is mine; she belongs with me.”

“Elena is her own person; she belongs to herself,” Elijah stepped back and cast Damon a cold glare. “She is with me because she chooses to be with me. I highly doubt she will ever forgive you for what you tried to do to our children… and never for Elena is a very long time.”

“I find that hard to believe,” he slumped so that his body hung limply from the chains.

“Believe what you will Damon,” Elijah came forward and grasped the young vampire’s chin. He caught Damon’s eyes. “When you leave this compound you are going to forget everything you know about Elena Gilbert and the Mikaelson family. And know this Damon: if you ever do anything to harm her or our children again you will have just enough time to remember being spared once before I kill you.” That was only if Elena didn’t do it herself first. “Do you understand?”

Damon glared but nodded. The next thing he knew was the bustle of the street as people pushed past him. He straightened his pristine white shirt and passed a zydeco group before disappearing into the crowd. He was having a difficult time remembering why he had come to New Orleans when he caught sight of a familiar woman stepping out of a café with a petite blonde.

Hers was a face he hadn’t seen in years. He pushed through the crowd and grabbed her wrist. She spun to face him quickly and pulled her arm away.

“Katherine?” His blue eyes locked on her face. How had she gotten out of the tomb?

The brunette smiled nervously and took a small step backwards. Her left hand smoothed over a spot on her stomach. The movement drew Damon’s eyes to the swell.

“I think you have me confused with someone else,” she returned politely. Elijah’s compulsion had worked. Damon thought she was Katherine. She could only assume that all events in the past that had involved her were erased as well, based on his surprise at seeing her.

“I can see that now,” his eyes lingered on her belly. He offered her his hand when he saw no sign of a ring; capturing her right hand he lifted it to his lips and placed a courtly kiss on her knuckles. “I’m Damon… and you are?”

Elena pulled her hand away quickly and took Lexa’s arm. “Not interested,” she turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

“Seems to have worked,” Lexa glanced sideways at Elena, “he had no idea who you were.” She sipped her tea and followed Elena into the drugstore. She stopped by the pharmacy aisle and motioned to the man who had entered behind them. “You want to tell him the good news? I can pick up the vitamins.”

“That would be great, thanks,” Elena nodded and approached Stefan.

Lexa watched them move to stand by the window. With one ear on the conversation she approached the counter and gave the pharmacist Elena’s name. She listened to Elena tell Stefan that the compulsion had worked and his brother would be spared as she turned to the Family Planning shelf; she picked up a few different tests. Lexa could have used a spell if she’d had one for this.

She paid for her purchases and Elena’s pre-natal vitamins before catching up with her friend at the door.

“Got everything,” she nodded to Stefan. “Are you ready to go ‘Lena?”

“Yeah,” she smiled and opened the door, “we’ll see you later Stefan.”

“Do you think the pre-natal vitamins are really necessary?” Lexa whispered as they walked away. “The babies are half-vampire.”

“I don’t know,” Elena laughed and shrugged, “but they can’t hurt, right?”

* * *

 

“Hello brother,” Damon stepped out of the alley with a slow smirk.

Stefan resisted the urge to roll his eyes and held in an exasperated sigh. He had given Elena a ten minute head start on the small chance that Damon was still around before he left the drugstore. He had expected his brother to follow Elena for a while; Damon would have certainly backed off when he smelled the vampires around her place of residence. Damon might not be obsessed anymore but he would certainly be curious.

“Damon,” he greeted with a stiff smile, “what brings you to New Orleans?”

“The bustling tourism industry,” Damon’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “This town is vamp party central. Everyone should visit at least once a decade.” Damon couldn’t come up with any other reason for the visit. He must have been on a real bender to not remember coming to the city, or deciding to come for that matter.

“Sure, sure,” Stefan nodded. Damon had come up with a valid excuse to justify his presence; drunkenly partier preying on giddy tourists definitely sounded like his brother.

“What brings you here?” He fell into step beside Stefan and gave him a sideways glance.

“I came for a friend and stayed for a girl,” Stefan decided to stick as close to the truth as possible. He knew Damon had never been one for the mundane. Maybe knowing his buzzkill baby brother was staying indefinitely would drive Damon out of town faster; drive him somewhere safe.

“This girl…” Damon offered a slight knowing smile, “… she wouldn’t happen to bear a striking resemblance to an old flame… a brunette by the name of Katherine?”

“No,” Stefan shook his head with narrowed eyes, “she’s blonde.”

“So you haven’t seen a woman who looks like Katherine?” Damon surveyed him critically.

“I didn’t say that.” Stefan’s hands found his jacket pockets.

_Her friend was blonde._ Damon’s eyes tracked Stefan’s movement. Was he seeing her friend? “Then you have seen her? She looks just like Katherine right? How is that possible?”

“I’m certain you’re exaggerating,” Stefan shrugged. “Maybe she had a kid before she turned, or maybe she had a sibling who had a kid. I’ve seen her around town; she’s probably a descendant.”

“Maybe I’ll stick around,” Damon smirked, “and get to know her a little better.”

“Leave her alone Damon,” Stefan warned him, “she’s pregnant and from what I can tell very much in love with the father of her baby.”

“Humans have been known to change their minds,” Damon snickered, “with a little … persuasion.”

“She knows about vampires Damon, or at the very least someone close to her does; she is on vervain. Just go home and leave her alone.”

Damon stared at Stefan. His icy eyes flashed but he nodded slowly before turning around and walking away.

Stefan watched his brother vanish into a crowd. Curiosity was fine as long as he didn’t try to hurt her or the children Damon would be fine.

* * *

 

Kol strode into the bedroom in search of his jacket but froze when he saw Lexa sitting cross legged on the bed. There was a small sheet of glossy paper in her lap and a long stick beside her. Her nose scrunched up adorably when she squinted at the paper. He moved to stand in front of her.

“Lexa?”

“Dios Mio!” She gasped and held her hand over her pounding heart. “You startled me, mi Amor. How long have you been standing there?”

“About a minute,” he chuckled and bent to kiss her cheek. “What are you doing?”

“I am attempting to decipher these instructions,” she frowned at the paper in her hand. “Mierda, why did they make this so complicated? Whatever happened to a simple yes or no? Why are there so many damn lines?”

“What is it, Elskling?” He tilted his head to try and read the paper in her hands.

“It’s…” she let out a triumphant whoop when she found the list of possible results. Lexa grinned excitedly as she picked up the stick and peered at the tiny screen. For a moment she forgot that she had wanted to surprise him later.

“Lexa,” Kol gently tipped her chin up with his knuckle, “what exactly is this?” He lifted her hand that held the stick.

“Well…” she cleared her throat lightly and blinked, “… it’s a test… a pregnancy test.”

“Are you… are we…” his eyes flickered to her flat stomach. The corners of his mouth started to lift in a hopeful smile.

Lexa rolled her eyes and stifled a laugh. “I don’t know,” she lifted her chin and met his eyes, “you lifted my face before I could check.”

Kol immediately dropped his hand. His head turned to the screen on the pregnancy test. “It’s got two lines; what does that mean?”

Lexa’s eyes dropped to the paper. Her lips lifted in a slow smile. 300 years ago this would have been among the worst news she could have gotten, but now it filled her heart with joy.

“It’s positive,” she laughed. Her laughter turned to a delighted shriek when Kol lifted her and spun her around the room. She tapped on his back and giggled, “Kol you’re making me dizzy.”

He sat her back on her feet and laughed when she flopped backwards onto the bed. He followed her down to catch her lips in a slow kiss. He lifted her shirt and rubbed slow circles over her stomach.

“I love you,” he met her eyes before cocking his head to one side.

“I love you, too,” she cupped his cheek. “What are you doing?” Lexa laughed when he laid his head over her abdomen.

“Trying to hear the baby’s heartbeat,” he lifted his head and smirked.

“It might be a little early for that,” she threaded her fingers through his hair.

“Shh…” he reached up and covered her mouth with one hand before settling he placed his ear over her stomach.

“Mi Amor,” Lexa propped herself up on her elbow and watched him. She could just make out the smile on his face.

“Shh…” he chastised her again. His eyes sparkled when he caught the soft fluttering of a tiny heart. “It’s not too early.”


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO  
> Also this chapter contains some SMUT

Rousseau’s was chaotic. The sweaty bodies of scantily clad women and drunken men writhed on the dance floor in what could only be described as a primal mating display. To the trained eye it did seem as though the women were luring desirable men into their web.

Tourists squeezed between the regulars at the bar stools to place their orders. It was clear that this was definitely the busiest part of Cami’s day. The bartender was constantly in motion to provide the revelers with a steady stream of alcohol.

Conversation and music bounced off of bodies and walls creating a raucous medley of sounds that only the vampires, who mingled amongst the tourists, could distinguish.

For her this was the perfect place to kick off her final night in the supernatural capitol. She slammed back a shot of tequila at the bar and disappeared into the crowd. the liquor warmed her from the tips of her toes to the end of her nose and filled her head with bubbles.

A moment passed where she danced alone; her hips twisted sinuously to the pounding bass. A red haze seemed to settle over the assembled crowd. she smiled coyly at several men and one woman who joined in her routine; she allowed their hands to glide over her arms, waist and hips. She shimmied out of the embrace whenever fingers would start to drift towards a more intimate area. A few hands managed to grope her as she made her way back to the bar.

Blood rushed through her veins at lightning speed as she slammed her hands down on the bar top. A pretty flush had risen on her chest and neck from a combination of liquor and dancing.

Climbing onto a stool she felt a pair of eyes settle on her rapidly rising chest as it strained against the tight, plunging neckline. With more presence of mind then she should have had after three shots she ordered a bottle of water before lifting her eyes to check out the man ogling her chest.

He wore his black hair slightly long and brushed back from his pale face. The dark hair created a nice contrast with his pale skin and laughing blue eyes. An easy, playful, grin lifted the corners of his mouth, but she could see the bad boy vibe he was making an attempt to hide. If nothing else his wardrobe gave him away: boots, dark jeans, white t-shirt and a leather jacket. A blue stone rested on his finger; the ring glinted when he lifted a glass of amber liquid to his lips.

Her tongue darted out to catch a droplet of water on her lip. A shiver raced down her spine when he leaned on the counter next to her. That ring was the most telling feature of all; it told her this man was likely older than he looked and dangerous. He was a vampire who could end a human’s life without a second thought; even through the red haze in her mind she could sense the magic on his ring.

She wasn’t too worried though. She could certainly handle a vampire. Besides, the way his eyes lingered on her lips, chest, and thighs, and not on her neck was very telling. While his intentions may not have been entirely honorable they certainly weren’t deadly.

She looked up through her lashes when he entered her personal space. His cool breath made her head spin as it fanned across her face. She could just make out the faint smell of alcohol, but she couldn’t be sure which of them it was coming from.

“Can I buy you a drink?” His charming smile was cocky as if he didn’t believe she would refuse him.

“That depends,” she straightened her necklace and smirked when the action drew his eyes back to her breast’s, “on your intentions. You have one of two motivations in buying me a drink,” her eyes sparkled when his fingers trailed up her crossed legs; he drew a path to her dark denim miniskirt before retreating and repeating the motion.

“What are my motivations?” He cocked an eyebrow and ran his fingertips up her inner thigh until he reached her hemline.

Her eyes fell to his hand as she ran a finger along his sleeve. “Number one,” she leaned closer and met his mesmerizing blue eyes, “you want to chat me up in the hopes of taking me somewhere more private for a very unintelligible conversation.” Heat pooled in her abdomen as she raked her eyes over his body in a way that suggested she would not be overly opposed to that outcome. She arched her back so her chest was thrust closer to him.

“And the second?” He gulped and eyed the way her top strained to contain her ample bosom. He was fairly certain she wasn’t wearing a bra, if the way her nipples pebbled under the violet halter were any indication.

“You want to chat me up,” her tone was flirtatious but her smile was hard, “in the hopes of taking me somewhere more private to drain me dry.”

He took a small step back as his eyes rose in astonishment, but left his hand where it was. His appraising eyes searched her flirtatious ones. He finally ventured a guess after a moment of pounding music.

“Witch?” He chuckled when she nodded. “I should have known really, you can’t throw a rock in this city without hitting one.”

“I could easily say the same thing about vampires,” her nose crinkled adorably as she laughed. She made no move to push away his wandering hand; instead she shifted her leg so his fingers dipped under the hem of her skirt.

“You don’t seem overly opposed to either option,” he observed the curtain of shiny red hair which she smoothed over her shoulder to expose the elegant curve of her neck. A vein fluttered quickly and sent an ache through his gums. The intent in her sultry brown eyes had his abdomen quivering with desire.

“Make no mistake,” her eyes flashed, “I am vehemently against being bled dry.”

“But not against being bitten,” he tilted his head and smirked. “I think I know what you want.”

“And what is it I want? Please tell me stranger I met in a bar,” she lifted her chin and smiled coyly.

“You want passion and adventure,” he breathed into her ear, “a love that consumes you, and just a little bit of danger. Why else would you let a vampire touch you this way?” To prove his point he slipped his hand under her skirt and brushed over the silk of her underwear. He bit her ear lightly when he felt the damp material, “Do you know what the real question is?”

She shook her head and met his glittering blue eyes. Her teeth nibbled slowly on her lower lip as she arched a thin eyebrow.

“The question is whether you’ve got the nerve to go through with it,” he withdrew his hand and smirked. “Are you all talk, or are you really willing to spend the night with a vampire?”

She watched him walk away through lidded eyes. Several minutes were spent considering the options before she hopped off her bar stool. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was a result of the primal dancing and the memory of his hands on her thigh. Maybe it was the knowledge of the vervain in her ring.

Whatever the reason she stepped out into the night and fell into step beside him. Sliding her hand into his she directed him towards her hotel.

The door had barely swung shut when his hands wrapped around her from behind. He pulled her to his chest and held tight as his mouth descended on her neck. She bit back a moan when he sucked the thin skin over her carotid artery. His left hand wandered down to hike up the denim skirt while his right fondled her breast. She gasped when his fingers deftly pinched her nipple through the flimsy silk.

“Tell me your name,” he nibbled on her ear.

She opened her eyes and saw they faced the floor length mirrors of the closet. She shook her head and giggled drunkenly.

“No,” she caught his left hand and repositioned it over the black thong, “if you want to know my name you’ll have to earn it.”

“Please,” he caught her eyes in the glass as his pupils dilated, “tell me your name.”

“Nope,” she snickered at the surprised look on his face. “I told you already; you’ve got to earn that.” She smiled proudly when her words didn’t slur together. “I don’t know your name either.”

“I’d offer the same deal,” he growled into her ear, “but I want to hear you cry out my name when I earn yours.”

“What is it then?” She ran her hand through his hair. Grasping the back of his neck she pulled him closer and let out a high pitched keen when he tore the fabric of her panties and ran a thick finger through her folds.

“Damon,” he groaned when she rocked back against his erection. His right hand continued to toy with her nipples while his left applied a steady pressure to her clit; suddenly nothing seemed more important than her pleasure. “My name is Damon, and I want to hear you scream it when I make you come around my fingers.”

Her stomach coiled in anticipation. She didn’t have long to wait before he thrust two fingers into her dripping cunt. She moaned and gasped loudly when he started to stroke her g-spot and flick her clit with his thumb. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thought the name sounded familiar, but it was difficult to care when her thighs started tremble.

“Oh… yes…” she moaned quietly,” … make me come… please… make me come…” He had worked her to the edge and was successfully holding her there. Through the tequila induced fog she remembered what he was waiting for.

“Make me come Damon… make me come with your fingers… Damon… Damon… Damon!” She screamed his name as the spring gave way in her belly. Her vision flooded with stars as he worked her through the orgasm.

“Have I earned your name yet?” He teased and nipped her ear. He smirked when a shiver ran down her spine.

“Not yet,” she groaned and ground her hips against his retreating hand. She grinned when he spun her and pinned her shoulders to the mirror. “You are certainly getting closer though,” she purred when he shed his jacket and sank to his knees with a wicked smirk.

* * *

 

Sunlight filtered through the hotel curtains to warm her back. Damon propped himself up on his elbow and let his eyes roam the smooth expanse of her golden skin. His finger ghosted over the freckles that dusted her shoulders and lightly traced the length of her spine; he stopped when he reached the white sheet draped low over her hips. The sudden uptick in her heart rate told him she was waking up.

Her arms extended under the pillow to brace against the headboard. Her spine dipped and rose as she stretched. Every part of her body ached deliciously and begged to be stretched. It took her a few minutes to realize she was not alone, when she did she blinked slowly and turned her head to face him.

“You’re still here,” she observed with a sleepy smile. “I thought you’d be long gone by now,” she sighed he pushed her hair back from her face. She hadn’t expected him to be there but, looking at his naked torso she had to admit that he was a more than welcome sight to wake up to.

“I couldn’t bear to leave without your name,” he admitted with a small frown. It had never bothered him before not knowing the name of a one-night stand. Typically he would have left by now; either after she had fallen asleep, or the moment he had woken up. Instead he had woken to find his arm wrapped around her waist. She had a lot of nerve and was either very brave or very stupid to knowingly spend the night with a vampire. He wanted to know which; he wanted to know her.

His frown turned to a smirk when he met her lidded eyes. “Have I managed to earn it?”

Her shoulders shook with a silent laugh. She could vaguely remember refusing to tell him her name the night before. She couldn’t recall much else. She blinked slowly when she realized she couldn’t even remember his name. All she could remember were the multiple orgasms that had reduced her brain to a pile of mush.

“I’m sorry,” she smiled sheepishly; “I seem to have forgotten your name.”

“That is surprising,” he turned his head to nip at the hickey on her shoulder, “when you consider just how many times you screamed it last night.” He wanted to know her name more than he wanted to know about Katherine’s look alike, but he couldn’t resist teasing her.

“I had a lot to drink last night,” she shivered and felt a throb of desire between her legs. “Are you going to remind me? All I remember from last night is mind-numbing pleasure.”

“Damon,” he leaned back and rested his head on the pillow.

“Damon,” she hummed, “why does that name sound so familiar?” She rolled and rose up on her elbow.

“Latent memories from last night,” he suggested with a wink. His eyes roamed her full breasts. Damon wondered how many freckles she had and vowed to put aside some time to count them. Maybe he would use his tongue to draw a line between them all.

She shook her head and laughed. Her hand came up to splay over his heart. “I don’t think that’s it Damon.” Her hand traced a path down his lean chest. “You did however earn the right to my name,” she slipped under the sheet and took him in her hand. His sharp intake of breath was music to her ears. “And that is a good thing because I’m going to make you moan it.”

She shivered when he grasped the back of her neck and captured her mouth in a bruising kiss. Her hand stroked him slowly as his tongue slipped into her mouth. She forced herself to pull away from his lips and kiss her way down his stomach. She placed a chaste kiss on the head of his cock before meeting his eyes and telling him her name in a soft purr.

She made good on her promise and a few minutes later he came in her mouth while her name fell from his lips like a prayer.

“Daphne.”


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.
> 
> This story has slowly evolved to have several subplots, and I am loving every minute of it.

Lexa played with a loose curl behind her ear and eyed the blacked out windows that adorned the front of the brick building. She chewed on her lip and allowed Kol to take her hand and lead her towards the door. She stopped him before he could open the door and turned to Caroline.

"How sure are you about this?" She curled her hand around the strap of her purse until her knuckles turned white. She was not overly thrilled with the prospect of walking into the den of vampires. Her stomach trembled with a mixture of fear and morning sickness.

"Marcel was the one who persuaded a witch to curse the Crescent wolves," Caroline drew herself up to her full height; "he is likely the only person who knows who she was."

"Not that I doubt you Caroline," Kol watched her through narrow eyes, "but how do you know that?"

Caroline blinked and reached for the handle of the door. "Klaus told me," she shrugged, "last night." She could feel their eyes on her back as she stepped into the dusky interior of the building.

Vampires lounged in every corner of the dark room. Humans were strung across the laps of their undead hosts. A sticky residue clung to the floor and made a sucking sound underfoot. A smoky haze hung overhead and the smell of tobacco, blood and sex permeated the air. Lexa excused herself when the smells made her head spin. Caroline looked around and decided that this was what people thought of when they heard the word vampire. She felt like she had stepped into a vampire next from a cheesy television show.

Caroline resisted the urge to roll her eyes and followed Kol into a side room where a dark skinned man sat with a drink and a book. She eyed the bite marks on the woman's neck and followed the trickle of blood over her collarbone and down her chest. She shook herself out of it and focused on Kol.

"Marcel," he approached with his arms open and a broad grin, "how have you been?" He clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Kol Mikaelson," Marcel shook his head, "haven't seen you in a while. What do you want?" His eyes swivelled to Caroline when she flashed to stand in front of him.

"We're looking for a witch," Caroline's eyes hardened when Marcel's gaze lingered on her, "I heard you might know it."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Nik told her," Kol tightened his grip on Marcel's shoulder. "Personally I prefer more… sultry pillow talk, but Nik has always been a little different." He smirked at Caroline's glare.

"Ahh… so you're Klaus' girl then?" Marcel surveyed her again. "Have we been introduced before?" He couldn't recall her name, but he could remember seeing her with Elijah's lover around town.

"Caroline Forbes," she didn't offer her hand in deference to the unconscious woman between them. "Can you tell us the name of the witch who cast the Crescent curse? It's important."

"You know she's dead?" Marcel shrugged when she nodded. "Her name was Brynn … Brynn Devereux. We had a … thing in the '90's."

She mentally applauded his taste in woman. Caroline had met Marcel only once but she had hoped he would have had higher standards. She didn't hold it against Elijah too much, after all Celeste had been mortal when he had known her; as far as Caroline was aware she had not been consumed with revenge then.

Or perhaps Celeste had been like Tyler; a thespian in a past life. There had been no indication that he was cheating until Caroline had caught him with his werewolf 'bestie'. No, from everything she had heard Marcel was a decent person, by vampire standards anyway, so Caroline would give him the benefit of the doubt; she would assume Celeste had been an outstanding actress.

Distantly she heard Kol thank him for his help. Caroline's body went through the proper motions: polite nod, practiced smile, partial wave. She pivoted on her heel and followed Kol back through the den of Nightwalkers.

She heard Kol chuckle when he opened the door and several vampires scampered out of the sun's path. Caroline resisted the urge to laugh and stepped out into the day. She ignored the envious looks of the vampires who were either very new or extremely drunk.

Her smugness dissipated when she saw Kol stride towards Lexa. He bent and fretted over her colouring while she struggled not to laugh as her expression warred between amusement, annoyance and nausea. She rolled her eyes when Caroline approached with concern etched into the planes of her face.

Lexa heaved an exaggerated sigh and turned to the older woman who had been standing with her. "I'm alright now," she reassured her, "my friends are back."

"Are you sure dear?" The matron peered anxiously into Lexa's eyes. "You are very pale. Wouldn't you like me to call an ambulance? You look positively awful."

Lexa might have been offended if she hadn't known it was true. Besides one look at this woman told her she was only concerned with Lexa's apparent health problems. She pressed her lips together when Kol made the same suggestion.

"No, thank you," she shook her head and slipped her hand into Kol's. "It's just low blood sugar," she smiled sweetly; "I'll be fine after I've had something to eat." Lexa laid her free hand over her stomach and gave Kol a pointed look that went over Caroline's head.

"Not to worry ma'am," Kol cut into the woman's protest with a charming smile. "I am going to take my fiancée home this very moment and ensure that she eats something."

"Fiancée?" She took a step back and regarded the young couple with wide eyes.  _They can't be more than teenagers._ "Aren't you two a little young to be getting married."

"They're a lot older than they look," Caroline covered her grin with her hand.

The woman seemed to accept the answer and willingly left Lexa in the care of Kol. She was rounding the corner when she glanced back and murmured something about 'good genes' and 'some people having all of the luck'. She saw the amused grins light up the trio's eyes as she finally turned away.

"I've got a granola bar," Caroline reached into her bag and started to rummage around. She stopped when she caught Lexa's grimace.

"No thanks Caroline," Lexa waved off the snack. "I'm not hungry, and I don't think I could keep anything down if I were. I just said that to get rid of her. You know she told me this was a 'bad spot' to hang out? People disappear from here periodically."

"I thought she was rather rude," Kol steered them towards the heart of the Quarter. "I think you look positively ravishing today."

"Aww," Lexa looked up at him through her lashes, "you're sweet… completely full of it, but very sweet." She stretched up and kissed his cheek.

"You two are enough to make me gag," Caroline exaggerated the action.

"Don't listen to her, mi amor," Lexa soothed his false outrage. "She's just jealous she doesn't have someone to flirt with."

"I have someone," Caroline puffed up her chest. "He's just stuck in wolf form at the moment. I only get to be sickeningly sweet in my dreams." She stared straight ahead as Lexa and Kol turned to stare at her. She could practically hear the gears spinning in their brains as they worked it out. It was Lexa who broke the silence.

"That makes a lot of sense actually," she blinked slowly. "That's great… for him. You could do better." Her eyes sparkled as she giggled.

Kol shook with laughter and Caroline cracked a smile at the jibe. She might have been upset but there had been no real bite to Lexa's comment.

"What did you two find out from Marcel? Did you get a name?"

"Yeah," Kol squeezed her hand as they stepped into the cemetery, "Brynn Devereux."

"Devereux?" Lexa's thumb bent to twist her ring. She chewed on her lip and held tight to Kol's hand. There was only one Devereux witch still alive. Sophie might be co-operating with them as far as the children were concerned, but she was unlikely to hand a grimoire over to them. She was unlikely to want to help Klaus, and she had made it clear that the coven did not trust Lexa.

Lexa took a deep breath and blinked back the tears that were forming in her eyes. "What are we going to do? Sophie doesn't trust me… no one in the c-coven d-does…"  _Stupid hormones!_

Kol stopped and wrapped his arms around her trembling frame.

Caroline considered for a moment before deciding it was best not to ask why. She pulled out her phone and daintily cleared her throat.

"I have an idea," she sent off a quick text and smiled when she got an immediate response, "and she is right around the corner. I'll meet her and catch up with you two later back at the compound." Caroline pointed in the direction she was walking. Lexa's hiccups faded as Caroline moved out of earshot.

She spotted her a few minutes later exiting a tomb in the newer part of the cemetery. She sped across the space and pulled her behind a crypt. She resisted the urge to laugh at the look on the shorter woman's face and settled for a smile.

"Hey Bon," she wrapped her friend in a tight hug, "how's the name hunt going?" Bonnie had been making periodic visits to the city since the kidnapping to try and find the name of the witch who had ordered the death of Elena's children. If they knew the name they were one step closer to knowing why the order had been given. Bonnie had the advantage of being a witch who quickly gained the support of the community.

"It took a while," Bonnie sighed, "but I got it…"

"That's great," Caroline interrupted, "Elena will be thrilled… well maybe not thrilled. Thrilled might not be the right word; this person did try to kill her kids. Maybe happy is better… or relieved…"

"Care," Bonnie grabbed her friend's shoulders and laughed, "you're getting off topic. I only got a name. Nobody seems to know the reason… they don't even seem to know who the witch is because she predates the city." She took a deep breath and met Caroline's eyes. "Why did you text me Caroline? I don't think it was to ask about the witch hunt?"

"It wasn't. I need a favour," Caroline bounced on her heels. "Sophie Devereux has a spell that we need. It will likely be in the grimoire that belonged to one of her relatives: Brynn. It's the curse that was used on the Crescent wolves."

"You want to curse a werewolf?" Bonnie lifted one eyebrow. Enacting revenge on Tyler at this point seemed a little petty.

"I want to reverse it," Caroline whispered as a small group passed them. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and crossed her arms.

"I would have thought the vampires would have preferred the wolves cursed," Bonnie murmured. "With them gone vampires practically have the run of the city."

"A witch cursed Klaus," Caroline admitted quietly.

"You want me to help Klaus?" Her mouth twisted into a sardonic smirk. "I stayed in this town for Elena because she is my friend, and quite frankly I owed her one after I tried to kill her babies. And don't say that wasn't my fault; you know as well as I do that I should have been on vervain. I would do anything for Elena and I would do anything for you. This, however, seems like something that Lexa should do."

"The witches never trusted Lexa," Caroline's fingers tapped a nervous rhythm on her forearms. "They won't give her anything, but you have managed to gain a bit of a repertoire."

"It's Klaus Caroline! How can you ask me to help Klaus?"

"Do it for me Bonnie, please?" Caroline's eyes were pleading.

"Why would I want to do anything for him?" Bonnie demanded. "I fail to see how this is for you."

"He's a good man Bonnie. Underneath that cold, psychotic, exterior there is heart, no matter what other people say; I've seen it." Caroline met her eyes and told her friend the one thing that she wouldn't be able to say no to. "He's my soulmate Bonnie."

"Damn it," Bonnie sighed.

* * *

Bonnie jogged towards Rousseau's. A slim woman in a bandana hoisted a black bag over her shoulder and turned in the opposite direction. Bonnie stretched out her hand and grabbed the woman's elbow.

"Sophie, right?" She gasped for breath and made a mental note to start jogging again. "Sorry to … attack you … but I wanted to talk with you before I left. I'm Bonnie," she held out her hand.

Sophie held out her own hand and stifled a laugh. "I remember. We met a few weeks ago when you came storming out of the Original's house. You were pretty upset at the time."

"Yeah," Bonnie shrugged, "that was me." She fell into step beside Sophie and followed her through the crowds assembled on the streets. "Rumor has it the local werewolves were cursed twenty-odd years ago, and that the witch who did it was a relative of yours: Brynn?"

Sophie pulled out her keys and stopped on her doorstep. "Why do you ask? You want to use it on a pack of wolves?"

"Just one," Bonnie met Sophie's curious eyes; it wasn't a lie, but she knew she would have to provide a few more details. "There is a werewolf back home that's a real pain in the ass." That wasn't a lie either. Sophie didn't have to know the spell was meant for someone else. Bonnie contented herself with the knowledge that she had told the truth; even if the true facts didn't match up with each other.

"So you're heading back home and you want to grab a spell before you leave?" Sophie unlocked the front door and waved Bonnie inside. "Okay."

"Really?" Bonnie felt her eyebrows shoot up. "I'm not overstepping? I was worried I might be, and you know this is a really personal thing…" She continued to babble while Sophie pulled a grimoire from the shelf. She read the pages to make sure they were the correct ones and pulled out her cell phone with the intention of taking a picture.

Sophie surprised her by tearing the pages from the book and passing them to Bonnie. "I have no intention of ever using this spell so just take it."

"Are you sure?" Bonnie fingered the soft paper.

"Yeah," Sophie slammed the book shut and gave Bonnie a knowing look. "Take them back to Lexa and say hi for me."

"You know?" Bonnie stepped back and tightened her grip causing small creases to appear in the pages.

"There was a rumor circulating that Klaus got himself hexed. Marcel told me Kol Mikaelson and another vampire were asking about the wolves. I figured she would come for the spell or send someone for it." Sophie set the book aside and crossed her arms. "None of the witches in the Quarter know about this so I know you didn't hear a rumor; I didn't even know until Marcel came to the restaurant."

Sophie tilted her head to one side and watched Bonnie carefully. "Why didn't she come herself?"

"She didn't think you would give it to her," Bonnie frowned, "because nobody really trusted her. Why is that? I met her and she seems like a nice enough person."  _She helped me._

"She's immortal," Sophie shrugged in a way that seemed to say the fact didn't really matter to her. "The elders could sense it. She is an immortal witch which is a very unnatural combination; add to that the fact that she was obviously lying about her past and you get some serious trust issues. I liked her though; I thought of her as a friend before the whole vampire baby thing."

"I would have thought it was because of her relationship with a vampire," Bonnie blinked and slid the pages into her bag. She had been able to sense Lexa's immortal status because Lexa had healed rapidly, was very old, and Bonnie did have a few psychic abilities. She hadn't realized anyone else would be able to sense it.

"She is hardly the first witch in the Quarter to sleep with a vampire," Sophie's eyes twinkled with amusement as she opened the door. "Sleeping with the enemy is one of the oldest rites of passage out there for a witch; they just get better with age… if you know what I mean?" She snickered behind her hand before growing serious again. "I think Lexa might be the first to marry one though."

* * *

"Thank you," Elena crossed the large study to stand beside the desk. "He caught up with us on the street and had no idea who I was; actually he mistook me for Katherine. He gave up on that thought pretty quickly though." She motioned to her stomach and leant against the table. She met his dark eyes when he dropped his pen and looked up. "You don't seem too happy about that."

"I knew it would work," he said, "but I was hoping it wouldn't so I would have a valid excuse to kill him." He didn't want to admit it but Damon's words in the basement had planted small seeds of doubt in his mind. He knew if he didn't ask he wouldn't be able to live with himself. "Elena, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she lowered the to-go cup from the café.

"Is that decafe?" He tapped the cup and quirked one eyebrow.

"Yes," she smiled innocently. She sighed when his eyes flickered to her chest; "Alright fine it is not, but if you can evade then I can. That is clearly not what you wanted to ask me." She set the cup on the desk and waited.

Elijah blinked slowly. He hadn't thought his evasion was that obvious, but she had seen through it. He added her perceptiveness to the list of things he loved about her. It seemed he could no longer lie to her; at least not convincingly.

"Do you think we would be together right now if you hadn't gotten pregnant?" His eyes settled on her stomach.

"No," she shook her head. Elena sat down the cup and took his hand. "I don't think so. I would still be at Whitmore thinking my life was completely normal… well semi-normal... I am the doppelganger and I do have that deal with your brother, so I would never be completely normal." She ran her thumb over his knuckles and shrugged. "I think it would have been a full six months before I came back here. Do you think we'd be together right now?"

"I really want to say yes, but…" Elijah stood up and used his free hand to brush back her loose chocolate curls, "… no… I don't think so. Did you even have my number when you left town?"

"No I didn't," she shook with a silent laugh. "I had to call Klaus to get it. It was a rather nerve wracking experience; I was scared he would ask why."

"He didn't ask?" He stroked her cheekbone with his thumb and suppressed his smile.

"Oh no, he did," Elena's lips lifted as she giggled. "I managed to evade him though… by hanging up." She lifted her free hand to cup his cheek. When her giggles subsided she met his gaze with smiling eyes. "I do think it would have happened eventually though. It just would have taken more time."

"I'd like to think it would have happened sooner rather than later," he relinquished his hold on her face and hand to lift her onto the desk. He settled his hands on her denim clad legs and stepped between them.

"How do you figure that?" Elena wrapped her arms around his neck and played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Well you see," he leant forward to kiss her jaw, "there was this," he punctuated each word with kisses that slowly made their way to her ear, "gorgeous brunette haunting my dreams. I doubt I could have stayed away from her for long," he pulled back a few inches to meet her lidded eyes.

"I love you," Elena grinned and brushed her lips over his. She laid her hand on his chest and pushed him back with a mischievous smirk. "Just to be clear, you were talking about me right?"

"Of course," he smiled and lifted her hand to his lips. "I love you Elena Gilbert, and there is no power on this earth that can keep me from you."

Elena thought there were a few things that could physically keep him from her, but she appreciated the sentiment all the same. Then his mouth met hers in a slow kiss that curled her toes and silenced her mind. Elijah's tongue slipped out to trace her lips and brush over the roof of her mouth in such a way that heat pooled in her abdomen; her stomach clenched and quivered.

Elena pushed him away when she felt something strange below her naval; Elijah was capable of making her body feel many things, but this was new. She laid her hand over the area and felt a distinct twitch against her palm. It was almost like someone was flicking her from the inside. A broad grin spread across her face when she realized what she was feeling.

"Elena," Elijah caught her chin and tilted it up, "what's wrong?" Nervous energy settled in his stomach. He was ready to rush her to the hospital when she lifted her top and placed his hand over the smooth expanse of her bump. He felt something press against his hand and initially thought she was having a muscle spasm. If that was the case why was she holding his hand to her stomach? "Elena, what exactly am I feeling?" The movement seemed to intensify when he spoke.

"They're kicking," she smiled and covered his hand with hers. One of their daughters was kicking against their hands. Elena could feel the other one pushing against a few internal organs.

"That's the babies?" His wonder filled eyes fell to her belly. He sank to his knees and started speaking to her stomach in a language she couldn't understand.

"One of them," Elena smiled down at him. The girls seemed to be responding to his voice. Tiny spasms broke out through her stomach as they moved. "I think the other one is playing soccer with my kidney." Elena felt tears spring up in her eyes. She crossed her fingers and hoped the baby wouldn't shift focus to her bladder; this moment was too precious to break up yet.

She smiled when he reached up and caught her tears on his thumb. "You cry when you're happy now?" The smile on his face lit his eyes with joy.

"Apparently," she laughed and sobbed at the same time.

"I love you," he placed a gentle kiss on her stomach before standing up and kissing her forehead.

"Were you talking to me or them?" Elena peaked up at him through the tears on her eyelashes.

"All three of you," he smiled and rubbed her stomach. He glanced up when he heard a throat clearing to find Stefan and Bonnie in the doorway.

"Sorry to interrupt," Bonnie looked from her friend to the Original holding her. She didn't think she would ever get used to Elena's new relationship. "I have to get to the airport. I found the name, got the spell," she laid the papers on a table, "found out the witches don't trust Lexa because they know she is immortal, and now I'm going home."

Elena spun as much as she could with Elijah standing between her knees. She wrapped her arms around Bonnie and squeezed. Fresh tears welled up when Bonnie let go. "I'm going to miss you," she sniffled. Her lips trembled when Bonnie backed up, "and now I'm crying because I'm sad."

"It's not like I'm leaving forever, "Lena. I'll come visit," she reassured her, but she didn't make any concrete plans. Truth be told Bonnie really wanted out of this city. She turned back at the door. "I almost forgot. Nobody knows the real motive, but a few knew the name of the witch who instructed the coven to kill the babies. Apparently she's very old; her name's Esther."

* * *

"You're not from New Orleans," Damon strolled along beside her, "are you Daphne?" He took her bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"What gave it away," She glanced at him through the corner of her eye, "the accent, the hotel, or the suitcase?"

"A combination of the three actually," he opened the car door and placed her bag in the backseat. Damon shut the door and laid his hands on the hood of the car to pin her body to the red convertible. "You hail from Georgia; according to your license plates."

She laid her hand on his chest and tilted her chin up with a wicked gleam in her bewitching eyes. "You could just ask me for my number. I guarantee I'll respond to that a lot better than this Sherlock-stalker vibe you've got going on."

Damon tilted his head and smirked. "Can I have your number?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Daphne laughed and passed him her phone. She didn't know what possessed her to add her name to his contacts, but she did; maybe it was the post orgasmic glow. She took back her own phone when he was done and tossed it through the window onto the passenger seat.

"Give me a call if you're ever in Georgia," she bit her lip and reached for the handle of the door.

His hand flashed out to grab her wrist. The other grasped the back of her neck and drew her into a rough kiss. She was gasping for breath when he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. "Or maybe I'll just call you," he bent to nibble at her ear, "or text."

"I'll keep an eye out for it," she settled her hand on his chest and gently pushed him back.

"That's all I'll ask," he reached for her door handle, "for now." He winked as she settled into her seat and started the car. Damon watched her drive off before setting off in the direction of his own car. He briefly considered trying to find Katherine's look alike before settling in the car and eyeing the contact details in his phone. He selected a picture he had taken that morning while she still slept and set it to her profile before sending her a quick text.

* * *

Daphne picked up her phone when she stopped for gas and food. She rolled her eyes when she saw the text message.

**DAMON SALVATORE:** I meant to count your freckles today, but I lost track somewhere around your collarbone.

**DAPHNE MCKENNA:** You'll have to try again another time;). I myself have never bothered to count.

She froze as she was restarting the ignition. Her eyes cut to the phone as her mind registered the entire message. She scrambled for the phone to double check and felt her lips press into a firm line when she re-read the last name. Suddenly she remembered where she had heard his name.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop a review if you please. :)
> 
> I don't know about the rest of you, but I liked Sophie in the Originals. In the beginning at least when she was shown to not always agree with the coven.
> 
> The next chapter will feature a few weeks time jump to the full moon. Elena will be around 20 weeks at that point and Lexa will be roughly 8 weeks along.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO
> 
> This chapter has a few weeks time jump. Most of the chapters from now on will. Elena is at 20 weeks. Lexa is 8
> 
> SMUT warning under the first line break.

Lexa dropped a few herbs into the boiling concoction on the stove and stirred three times counter-clockwise. She glanced over her shoulder to Elena and Elijah where they had come into the kitchen to get a glass of water and a mug of blood. Even though she knew to expect it her stomach still rolled at the sight of the red liquid. She quickly turned back to her potion only to get a whiff of the fumes. Bile rose in her throat. It was only a matter of time before the nausea would take control.

She turned to Kol and handed him the wooden spoon. Lexa placed one hand over her stomach and gulped. "Can you finish mi amor?" She didn't wait for an answer, as soon as the utensil was in his hand she sped out of the kitchen.

Elena sat down her now empty glass and watched Lexa practically sprint from the room. It had been two weeks since Bonnie had delivered the pages. In that time Lexa had been sick periodically. Elena had a pretty good idea what was going on. She snuck a quick glance at Kol and decided that he must be aware; if he didn't know he would have flashed after his soulmate. The only real question was: when were they going to tell everyone?

Kol was just portioning off the potion when Caroline came into the kitchen. He passed her the antidote when she violently tore open the fridge door and extracted several blood bags. He had wanted to leave Nik cursed for a while, but that plan had gone out the window when Caroline turned out to be the mate of his hot-headed brother.

Kol would never admit it but the blond baby vampire terrified him.

"This will work?" Caroline eyed the noxious concoction in the glass.

"No reason why it wouldn't love," Kol masked his discomfort behind a cocky smirk. "I was a bit of a prodigy as a child."

"It better work," her icy voice sent chills down Kol's spine.

Kol could see Elena laughing through her yawn as her best friend sped off in the direction of snapping bones.

"Kol," Elena started twisting her hair into a French braid, "I've grown to like you over the years so for your sake I really hope this works. Caroline won't be taking it out on Lexa."

Kol crossed his arms and mumbled that he was not afraid of Caroline Forbes.

* * *

Caroline froze outside the bedroom when the pained moans ceased. She clutched the bags of blood and balanced the cup before opening the door. Light from the full moon shone through the open window and illuminated the empty room. She placed everything on the dresser before she called out for him.

Arms wrapped around her waist from behind and pulled her flush against a lean chest. She could tell that the only thing separating them was the thin silk pajamas she wore.

Caroline gasped and moaned loudly when his hand slid beneath the waistband of her panties. Her stomach quivered. Moisture flooded her underwear when his lips descended on the curve of her throat; two weeks was too long.

Caroline wanted nothing more than to submit to his ministrations, but there was one thing that needed to be taken care of first.

"K-Klaus," she choked back a moan when he bit her shoulder with blunt teeth. Grasping his hands she spun to face him. That action was definitely a mistake; one look at his body on full display under the moon drove her wild.

She grabbed his face and kissed him with every emotion she had. Their mouths moved together in a rough kiss.

Klaus quickly shredded her pajamas and gripped her hips. He smirked wickedly when he picked her up and pinned her to the door.

He licked and nipped his way across her breasts. Fingers tangled in his unruly hair and left bloody tracks down his back when he bit on her nipple. He growled when he smelt the blood and thrust upwards to envelop his cock in her dripping pussy.

Caroline's head slammed back against the door. The occasional grunt would escape as he drove into her again and again. She mewled in pleasure when he kissed her roughly and his thumb found her clit. Caroline came with a silent scream while he continued to pound into her.

When the stars behind her eyes faded she used all of her strength to shove him backwards. They ended up on the floor where Caroline rode him into oblivion.

After the first of what would most likely be many rounds they laid in the moonlight and basked in its glow. Caroline was placing gentle kisses over his chest when she heard his stomach growl. She stood up and giggled at the pout on his lips.

"Round two is going to have to wait until you've fed," she smirked and walked slowly to the dresser. She could feel his eyes igniting a fire under her skin. "Stop staring at me," she glanced over her shoulder.

"But the view is amazing love," he tilted his head and gazed at her perfect behind, "the best I've ever witnessed…" his eyes glittered. A wolfish grin covered his face when she turned around. He slowly looked her up and down. "I stand corrected… this is the best view I've ever seen."

"Really?" Caroline approached slowly causing her chest to bounce; she smirked and quirked an eyebrow.

"Mmmhmm," he hummed, "and it just keeps getting better." Klaus sat up and took the blood bag from her hands. "I've noticed you staring as well, sweetheart." He drained the bag and accepted the second.

"Well it is a decent view," she slowly checked him out and grabbed the cup. "Now drink this vile smelling potion and meet me in the shower," she commanded in her bossiest tone.

She could make out the sound of him choking down the concoction over the pounding of the water. A moment later arms wrapped around her waist and turned her head to meet her lips in a slow kiss.

* * *

Elena peered blearily at the numbers on the alarm clock: 2:46 AM. She shifted in the bed wanting something but unsure of what it was. The babies were turning gently, but she knew that motion had not been enough to wake her.

She turned her head to the left and watched Elijah's sculpted chest rise and fall with shallow even breaths. Elena nibbled on her lip and briefly considered waking him up. The thought was tempting, incredibly tempting, but that need was not the one that had woken her up.

Her stomach rumbled softly. Elena was careful when she stood up so as not to wake him. She picked up her sweater from the chair in the corner and tiptoed out of the room pulling the door closed gently behind her.

Elijah had been on edge ever since Bonnie had given them the spell and left. She didn't know what was keeping him awake at all hours of the night, but she was sure he would tell her when he was ready… right?

This was the first he had really slept and Elena was reluctant to wake him up unless it was absolutely necessary. She had asked him what was wrong, but he had told her not to worry about it; that he was probably worried about nothing.

She waited a moment with her hand on the doorknob and listened. She couldn't hear him, but that didn't really mean anything; if Elijah wanted to he could move soundlessly. Elena chose to believe the silence meant he was still asleep. She blinked a few times and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dim light in the upstairs hall.

Pulling her sweater closed over her belly she walked slowly towards the stairs. She froze when her heel came down on a squeaky floorboard. She held her breath and listened carefully. The house was silent save for the rhythmic thumping coming from the door to her left. Her eyes widened when she realized it was Caroline's bedroom. Heat rose in her cheeks when she realized exactly what she was hearing. She covered her mouth and chocked down her high pitched laugh and hurried past. She supposed it made sense that they were still at it after several hours; it had been two weeks, but it still wasn't something she was comfortable listening to.

When she entered the kitchen she flipped on the dim lights over the table and opened the fridge. She narrowed her eyes at the bags of blood on the bottom shelf. She placed her hand over her kicking children and spoke harshly to her abdomen.

"That is not happening." Her words were followed by half-hearted kicks that Elena was sure was the twins' way of whining: 'but mommy.'

"No," she said firmly, "pick something else." Her eyes flickered over the contents of the fridge before lighting on the jar that made her mouth water. She quickly placed it on the counter and retrieved a fork. She closed her eyes to savor the taste and frowned when she realized it was missing something.

She stepped into the walk in pantry and came out with a blue package and a red jar. She closed her eyes and suppressed a moan when the combined flavors exploded in her mouth. She was on her third serving when the overhead lights brightened. She squinted and allowed her eyes to readjust to the new level of light.

"Midnight snack, elskede?" Elijah blinked slowly and took in the small assembly that she had set up. Discounting the occasional wolf-bite he had gone 1000 years without experiencing physical sickness, but looking at her food choices made his stomach turn.

Elena nodded slowly and swallowed. "I didn't wake you did I?" Her tongue darted out to catch the crumb on her lip.

"No," he suppressed a yawn and slowly approached the island. "Niklaus, breaking a lamp, did. I came looking for you when I realized you weren't in bed." He laid one hand on the small of her back and watched with morbid fascination as she added raspberry jam and a sliced pickle to the centre of an Oreo. "At what point in time did this become a good snack?"

"Are you mocking my food choices?" She asked around a glorious mouthful of chocolate, jam, and gherkins. She arched one eyebrow and looked up at him over her shoulder. She didn't miss the shadows under his eyes.

"I would never mock you Elena," he swore around another yawn.

"Mmmhmmm," her eyes flickered over his overtly innocent expression, "sure you wouldn't." She started cleaning off the counter and putting things away. "And to answer your question it became an ideal snack after you knocked me up. The babies wanted food and it was delicious." She knew he was truly exhausted when he made no comment on her use of the term 'knocked up'.

Elijah nodded as he slowly came more awake. He could remember reading in one of the books that pregnancy could bring unusual food cravings.

A hand cupped his neck and a thumb gently stroked his jaw. He settled his hands on her waist and met her concerned brown eyes.

"What is it?" Elijah caught her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"I just… wish you hadn't woken up," she sighed. "That's the most you've slept in two weeks."

"I am over a thousand years old Elena," he chuckled. "I do not require much sleep. A couple hours a night is more than enough."

Elena narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "You haven't been getting that." She pushed through before he could deny it. "You've been lying in bed with me, but you haven't been sleeping. Something has been bothering you for a while now; ever since the babies started kicking you've been distant."

She really had planned on letting him come to her, but once she started voicing her concerns she couldn't stop. She needed to know. Was he freaking out about being a father? Was it Klaus' curse?

"I'm worried about you, Elijah. I snuck out of the bedroom so I wouldn't wake you up because you were finally asleep. If I wasn't afraid of what I'd find I would slap Klaus for waking you up." Her fingers traced the circles under his eyes. "Please tell me what's wrong. It is clearly not nothing."

"Elena…"

"Is it the twins? Are you freaking out? You haven't actually freaked out yet, so please tell me if you're freaking out." Her gaze fell to his bare chest.

"What?" His dark eyes widened. His knuckle caught her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze. "No, I am not worried about the twins. It's – it's the witch."

She blinked and tilted her head to the side. "Which witch?" They knew so many witches: Lexa, Bonnie, Sophie and countless witches in the city.

"The dead one who ordered the coven to kill the babies… I recognized her name."

Elena struggled for a moment to remember the name. She hadn't given it too much thought as there had been no explanation as to why she had done it, and the witches were no longer a problem. "Esther… you know who she is?"

"She was my mother, Elena."

* * *

Caroline rolled over and basked in the early morning sunlight. It streamed through the window and warmed her bare skin. A sleepy smile spread over her face as she watched the light play across her daylight ring. She reached out blindly to rouse Klaus and froze.

Her eyes snapped to him as her fingers tangled in soft fur. She tugged and caused him to jerk awake.

Caroline waited until his jaw closed from the massive yawn. She bit down on her cheek to suppress her own yawn and fixed him with an exasperated glare.

"Klaus," his eyes turned to her and narrowed in confusion, "please tell me you've suddenly developed an extremely inappropriate sense of humor. Are you turning into Kol? This is a very cruel prank to play on me."

His eyes widened when he lifted his head and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror over the dresser. He shook his head as much as possible and watched her jump out of bed.

Caroline cursed loudly when she stepped on some broken glass. She tore the glass from her foot and yanked one of his Henley's over her head. Klaus jumped out the bed and raced after her down the hall.

A door banged open and crashed against a dresser. A startled shriek followed the tinkling sound of shattered glass. Klaus padded into the room and watched as his mate did something he would have deemed incredibly foolish. The slap reverberated through the room; he suspected the only reason Kol didn't retaliate was because he was still half asleep.

"I did warn him," Elena rubbed her eyes and peered blearily at Kol who was holding his cheek and watching Caroline scream with wide eyes. Elena looked down at Klaus and on impulse patted his head. "There, there…"

"Elena, don't baby the werewolf," Elijah yawned, "they have a tendency to bite."

"Don't worry," she smiled, "he's just an overgrown puppy. Aren't you Klaus?" She scratched behind his ears and dissolved in a fit of giggles when he closed his eyes and pushed against her hand. She looked up when the frenzied yelling cut off in the middle of a sentence.

Lexa sat back against the headboard and eyed the angry woman who had woken her at such an early hour. She yawned and wiped the sleep from her eyes before lifting the pages containing the spell from her bedside table. Her eyes flickered from the paper to the trio by the door.

"I think I know what happened," she sighed. Lexa pointed to a spot on the paper for Kol to read. "Do you think this would affect a hybrid? Now that I'm looking at it I don't think it would." Lexa had just assumed the spell was the same one that had been used on the Crescent wolves.

"Celeste modified the spell to affect a hybrid," Kol voiced her thoughts, "and we made a cure for the original spell."

"Can you reverse it then?" Elijah steadied Elena when she stumbled straightening up.

"Yeah," Lexa nodded, "we have the spell. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out how she tweaked it and craft a reversal. It'll just be another month before he can take it."


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO
> 
> The story was about to move into some dramatic territory, so I thought to better prepare everyone I would give you some fluff. The chapter features some worry before dissolving into distractions techniques. We've got some ELEJAH smut, some CarolinexElena interaction (do they have a ship name?) and a round of games.

Elena adjusted the pillow under her head. With her eyes closed she counted the kicks that pressed against Elijah's hand. She could feel the steady beating of his heart against her back. She was beyond happy that he had communicated with her.

Most of her former paramours *cough* Damon *cough* Stefan wouldn't have done that. They would have wrapped her in bubble wrap and taken care of everything alone. That was not a true partnership; in a real, healthy relationship people talked and worked through their fears and problems together.

The only real problem was that there was no solution to the problem at hand. Elijah was certain it was not a coincidence; he was certain the witch in question was his mother. It had done him a world of good to talk to Elena, but it had raised more questions as well.

Elena couldn't understand why Esther would want to kill her grandchildren. This was the woman who had resorted to dark magic to protect her children. Even the knowledge that Klaus had killed her in a fit of rage was not enough to answer the question.

By all accounts, from the Mikaelsons who remained verbal, Esther was a woman who had loved her children unconditionally.

Elena had asked if perhaps she thought the babies would upset the balance of nature. Elijah had considered that and decided it was unlikely; she had no problem perverting nature when she had turned them.

Elijah had told her he could understand his mother holding a grudge against Niklaus for everything he had done to his family; he might even understand her motives had the children in question been fathered by the hybrid.

She was glad he had told her, but she was upset as well. He was no longer the only one losing sleep.

Elena allowed her eyes to drift open. Clouds covered the moon outside and cast the new room into deep shadows. A week after the full moon Elijah had suggested a change of scenery to better help her relax. The chance to get away from the Quarter was too good to miss.

The decision had the added benefit of getting Klaus away from the city; he had grown rather antsy after a week back in wolf form. He had even started growling at passing tourists from the window.

The distraction had worked for a few days until Caroline and Elena were due back in classes. Over the course of the week they had made the daily trip into the city and returned each evening to the sprawling mansion on the outskirts of town. Klaus was on cloud nine surrounded by nature. He would spend the days in the woods running and hunting, but would always be back at the house when Caroline and Elena put the car in park.

Elena blinked. She was physically and mentally exhausted, but every time she closed her eyes the questions would flood her mind. And if it wasn't her own mind keeping her awake then it was the twins kicking. Tonight it was both.

She sighed and closed her left hand over Elijah's where it rested on her stomach. "Elijah," she whispered into the stillness, "are you awake?"

"Yes," he mumbled against her hair. He laid a kiss to her bare shoulder. "Are you awake?"

"No," she returned, "I'm talking in my sleep."

"It wouldn't be the first time," he chuckled and rubbed her stomach.

"I don't talk in my sleep," she hissed and swatted weakly at his arm. Elena rolled her neck and tried to look at him from the corner of her eye. She sighed when she couldn't and rolled onto her back. "Do I talk in my sleep?"

"Yes you do," Elijah propped himself on his elbow and moved a few strands of hair out of her face. "I have had complete conversations with you while you've slept. It was rather amusing those nights I couldn't sleep."

"What do I talk about?" She swallowed and bit her lip. Elena blushed when she thought of the many ways she could have embarrassed herself.

"Me, you, your brother, Caroline and Niklaus," Elijah hummed and shrugged, "you've also gone through quite the list of baby names. Most recently it's been recipes. Last night you told me how to make double chocolate brownies."

Elena swallowed when her mouth watered at the mention of chocolate. She sat up and swung her legs out of the bed. Strong arms snaked around her waist before she could stand.

"Where do you think you're going?" He breathed against her ear.

"I can't sleep and now I'm hungry," she answered and slipped out of his arms. "I am going to the kitchen," she looked at him over her shoulder, "you are welcome to join me." Elena didn't wait for him before making her way to the kitchen.

Elijah considered for a moment. On the one hand her middle of the night cravings was proving to be less than appetizing. On the other hand he couldn't sleep either and thought the conversation would be worth it. He climbed out of bed, pulled on a t-shirt, and flashed into the dark kitchen.

He chuckled when she turned on the kitchen lights and jumped a foot in the air with a startled shriek. He approached with a smirk and removed her hand from over her thundering heart.

"You did that on purpose," she gasped as he kissed her knuckles.

"I'm sorry, elskede," he chuckled. His sparkling eyes showed little to no remorse when he leaned forward and kissed her neck. Elijah nipped at the fluttering vein in her throat and heard her swallow a moan.

She settled her hands on his chest and pushed. "Don't distract me," she poked him and glared. "I'm still hungry and now I'm mad at you for scaring me."

Elena stomped past him and pulled eggs and butter from the fridge before heading to the pantry. Elijah watched her rummage through the cabinets and pull out sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, and cocoa. He nodded at the normal ingredients and took out the required utensils he knew she would need.

Elena quirked one eyebrow and eyed the items he had taken out for her.

"You went into amazing detail, Elena," he turned on the oven and set it to pre-heat. "I could probably make this myself. You told me the precise measurements and at what point to add each item."

"I didn't," she blinked.

"You did," he nodded and started sifting the cocoa.

Elena watched with wide eyes as he perfectly executed the recipe her mother had made her swear she would take to the grave. She snapped out of it when he placed the tray in the oven. Before he could turn back around Elena snatched the mixing bowl and ran her finger around the rim.

He turned around to find her sucking the brownie batter from her finger. He narrowed his eyes and snickered when she mumbled something unintelligible around her finger.

"What was that, darling?" He asked when she returned her finger to the inside of the bowl. "I couldn't hear around your finger."

"I said," she paused with her hand half-way to her mouth, "don't you dare tell anyone this recipe because it's a family secret."

"I think I could be persuaded to make a deal," he met her bright eyes.

"And what would you be asking for in exchange?" She looked up through her lashes when his hands settled on her hips.

"I'd settle for a taste," he winked and lifted her chocolate covered finger to his lips.

She moaned when he sucked her finger into his mouth. Heat pooled in her abdomen when his tongue swirled around the digit to remove the chocolate.

Her hand grasped the back of his neck when he released her hand. Elena stretched up and met his lips; her tongue darted out to taste what little chocolate remained in his mouth.

She shivered when his finger drew a wet line from her ear to her collarbone and down to her cleavage. The sweet smell that reached her nose told her it was more brownie batter.

Her head rolled back when his tongue slowly ran from the tops of her breast's to her ear.

She carded her fingers through his hair and tugged. "Do we have a deal?" She moaned and nibbled on his ear.

"I don't know," his hands slid under the waistband of her sleep shorts and pushed. When the material hit the floor he lifted her onto the counter and ran his fingers up her thighs. "I'm going to need to taste you first," he pressed one finger against her sex through her panties.

"That sounds like a fair trade off," Elena lifted her hips and allowed him to slide the silk down her legs. She heard the whisper of the material as it hit the floor. She met his eyes as he sank to his knees with a wicked smirk.

Her breath hitched when he started to lick and nip from her knee to her inner thigh. Elena leaned back and braced herself on her wrists when he sucked over her femoral artery and brought the blood to the surface in a bruise.

She released a shuddering breath when his fingers separated her lips before he moved in to taste her.

"Mmmm," she moaned, "just like that." She clamped down around his tongue when he thrust it inside of her. Fire pooled in her belly and her thighs trembled as he fucked her with his tongue.

"Yes," she sobbed and used her hand to pull his head closer to her center. "When did you get so good with your tongue? Fuck Elijah… mmm… that should be illegal."

She let out a high pitched keen when his thumb drew firm circles over her clit. Elijah swallowed her cum when the orgasm flooded his mouth, and stood up.

The first sense to come back to her was smell. The combination of sweet vanilla and rich cocoa was nearly enough to trigger another small orgasm.

The second sense was sight. The heat in Elijah's eyes lit a fire under her skin.

Her sense of touch came next. The hard muscles of his back shifted under her palms as she slid the grey t-shirt up over his head.

Her lips explored the planes of his chest; teeth nipped at his collarbone. Elena was pleased to note that her hearing had returned. She heard him groan her name followed by the annoying buzz of the oven timer.

Elena pouted when he stepped out of her embrace to shut off the oven and lift the tray of brownies. She took advantage of his turned back to remove her top and recline against the counter. A smirk spread over her lips when he turned back around and stared at her with wide eyes; she might have felt self-conscious if not for the well-defined bulge tenting his bottoms.

"And her I thought you'd knock me out of the way for a brownie," his hands settled on her knees.

"Don't be silly," she brushed her lips over his jaw and giggled, "they are far too hot to cut right now." She hooked her thumbs into the band of his pants and pushed them down; she pouted when she realized she couldn't get close enough to him… her belly was in the way.

"We may need to rethink this position," he chuckled and lifted her off the counter top. A moment later he drew her into his lap on one of the kitchen chairs. He groaned when she ground down on his erection.

"This works much better," she grinned bracing her hands on his shoulders as she sank down.

* * *

Caroline covered her yawn with her hand and stepped down into the large kitchen. The invigorating aroma of rich chocolate had roused her from sleep and drawn her from the comfort of her bed to the source of the smell.

She paused in the door when a second smell reached her nose. She rolled her eyes and flashed to snag a brownie before dropping into a chair across the table from Elena. Her eyes flickered from her best friend to Elijah's hand on her back. She leveled Elena with a knowing look and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"You've got chocolate on your neck," Caroline took a bite and mumbled around the fudgy brownie. "I really hope it didn't get there until after the tray went in the oven."

Elena shrugged one shoulder and used her hand to swipe at her throat. "It didn't get there until after," she frowned when her fingers came away clean. "Where is it?"

"Right here," Elijah lifted her chin with his knuckle. His tongue darted out and gathered the chocolate from her throat.

"I'm still here," Caroline pretended to gag. "I'm just going to put that out there." She took another bite and hummed approvingly. "You've really outdone yourself with the brownies."

"Thank you Caroline," Elijah leaned back in the chair and smirked.

"You made these?" Caroline turned her hard eyes on Elena. "What the heck, 'Lena? You swore you would never tell anyone this recipe; I've been trying to get it out of you for years."

"I didn't tell him," Elena crossed her arms over her chest.

"Don't deny it," Caroline growled. "This is your mom's recipe. The recipe she made you swear you would take to the grave." She glared at Elena and didn't notice Klaus until it was too late to stop him. "Hey," she adjusted her glare to the wolf at her side, "that was my brownie!"

"There is still a whole tray Caroline," Elijah shook his head at his brother and stood up to bring the tray over to the table. "If it helps Elena didn't intentionally tell me; she talks in her sleep."

"I know that," Caroline dished out another brownie. "Are you telling me I could have had this recipe years ago? I should have been asking her questions… instead I bought a pair of noise cancelling headphones, which do not work for vampires, to block out her weird sex dream commentary."

"Do tell me more Caroline," Elijah smirked.

"Don't you dare!" Elena blushed under the stares of Elijah and Klaus.

"What's my silence worth?" Caroline perked up when she sensed an opportunity.

"How about: the burning of several, very embarrassing, childhood photographs from Halloween, of 2001?"

"Deal," Caroline shuddered. She did not want those pictures to ever see the light of day. "On to more serious topics. What is up with you? You've never had a sweet tooth." It was true the only times Elena felt the urge for a sugary treat was when she was super stressed about something.

"Pregnancy changes your taste buds," Elena shrugged, "and I couldn't sleep." She stifled a yawn and struggled to keep her eyes open as fatigue finally set in. "And don't you judge me Caroline Forbes. I eat absurdly healthy during the day."

* * *

"Caroline I understand that the past few months have been very stressful for all of us and that you are sexually frustrated at the moment," Kol eyed the assembly of colourful boxes and the mat being laid out on the floor, "but is game night really the answer?"

"I don't know Kol," Lexa picked up the box and read the back, "it could be fun. I've never played Twister."

"I don't think I can play Twister," Elena ran one hand over her the blue fabric covering her stomach. At twenty-three weeks pregnant she had developed quite the bump and her children were making extreme flexibility difficult.

"You can run the spinner," Caroline passed over the cardboard and took her place. "Are you going to play Kol?" She kicked off her shoes. It had been nearly a week since she'd found Elena in the kitchen.

"Sure," he took off his own shoes and wiggled his eyebrows. "This game promises some very compromising positions. How could I say no to being entangled with two beautiful women?" He chuckled and ducked to avoid the throw pillows. "I was only joking Nik, no need to growl; she's not my type anyway."

"That's odd," Elijah chuckled, "I thought you went for blonds with green eyes."

Kol picked up one of the throw pillows and chucked it at his brother. "Are you playing Elijah?"

"I think I'll sit this one out," he caught the pillow and joined Elena on the loveseat.

"Suit yourself."

"Who's first?" Elena looked between the three gathered around the edges of the mat. She started calling colours when they had sorted out the order.

"I think I like this game," Kol chuckled. It was several rounds later when Lexa had to stretch her arm over his legs so that her cheek wound up pressed to the exposed skin between his t-shirt and pants.

"Keep it clean, Kol," Elena chastised, "left hand blue."

Kol had to twist his hips so he could pass his arm between Lexa's leg and Caroline's torso. He jolted when his arm grazed over Caroline's breast and Nik lifted his head with a menacing growl. Kol's movement caused Lexa to jerk and sent all three of them crashing to the mat in a tangle of limbs.

Lexa was half on top of Kol. Caroline straddled one of Lexa's legs while Kol picked himself up from her chest.

"Nik's fault," he pointed wildly to his brother in the club chair. "That means Caroline loses right?"

"Why me?"

"He's your mate you take responsibility," Kol shrugged.

"No way," Caroline tried to separate herself but found that she was stuck under him, "you are the one who toppled us, so you lose."

"She's right," Elijah glanced up from the rule book, "you appear to have lost Kol."

"Now that that is settled could you two please get off of my legs," Lexa barked. Once she was in a seating position on the mat she looked over her shoulder to the table covered in game boxes. "Maybe we should try something with a little less physical activity this time," she slowly rubbed a cramp from her leg.

"Sure," Kol took her hand and inspected her thigh. "Are you hurt, Elskling?"

"I'm fine," she smiled and stretched out her legs. "It's just a cramp. The suggestion was more for Elena. I'm sure she would like to play a game too."

"What are we playing?" Rebekah walked in with Stefan. "Sorry we're late. We were trying to see if there was any sign of Damon in the city."

"Is there?" Elijah leaned forward and braced his hands on his knees.

"No," Stefan shook his head, "he seems to have disappeared. I'm going to call him in the morning and see what he's up to."

"Why don't you pick a game, Bekah?" Caroline pointed to the table and watched her pick up a long black box without really looking. "Cards Against Humanity with the Originals? This should be fun. Elena you want to take them into the dining room and explain while I clean this up?"

"Sure," she passed over the cardboard spinner and stood. Elena smiled when she felt Elijah settle a soft cushion behind her back at the dining room table. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he took the box from Rebekah and began to pull out the contents. "Now how do we play this game?"

Elena launched into an explanation. The card czar read a black card and everyone else offered up a white card to either fill in the blank space or to answer a question. The card czar would then choose the best combination and the person who offered it would earn the black card, aka: an awesome point.

She was finishing her explanation and telling them how the first card czar was the person who had last defecated when Caroline joined them at the table.

"We're all up to speed," Caroline dealt out ten white cards to everyone. "Who's first?"

Everyone cleared their throats and avoided eye contact for a moment. It was Kol who broke the silence.

"All right, come on then, who did the deed?" He snickered when Stefan reached for the deck of black cards.

"Whenever you're ready, Kol," Stefan fingered the edge of the card.

Kol composed himself after a well-timed glare from Lexa.

Stefan cleared his throat before dramatically reading his card. "For my next trick I will pull _ out of _."

"A sense of humor out of Nik?" Kol suggested before consulting his cards.

"That would be quite the trick," Stefan picked up the first combination and began to read the cards aloud.

"For my next trick I will pull shiny objects out of Lance Armstrong's missing testicle." The combination elicited a laugh from the table. Stefan plowed through with the remainder of the cards. "For my next trick I will pull boogers of a Dominoes Oreo pizza…. Sean Connery out of extremely tight pants… a tiny horse out of Genghis Khan… funky fresh rhymes out of two midgets shitting into a bucket… the female orgasm out of Natalie Portman."

Stefan bit his lip and considered his options before picking up the black card. "I think I'm going to have to go with Genghis Khan… how did the tiny horse get into him though?"

"I put it there with a spell," Lexa snatched the point and giggled at the faces turned to her.

"My turn then," Caroline reached for the pile. "What is George W. Bush thinking about right now? And make it good guys."

"Our crumbling political climate," Stefan muttered and slid a card across the table.

"We're all thinking about that," Rebekah grimaced.

Caroline shook her head and started reading the cards. "George W. Bush is thinking about Nickelback…" she grimaced, "… ass less chaps – that depends on who is wearing them…. Road head… the wrath of Vladimer Putin… Sex with Patrick Stuart… and finally… the winning ticket 'German dungeon porn'."

"Thank you."

"Really Rebekah?" Elijah struggled to suppress his grimace.

"Always said you were a strumpet sister," Kol smirked and reached for the deck of cards. "The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History has just opened an interactive exhibit on _." He started reading out the answers when Caroline passed him a deck of shuffled cards: "Vehicular manslaughter… throwing a virgin into a volcano… consensual sex… Getting really high… a really cool hat and me time… I'm sorry what is me time? I'm unfamiliar with the phrase."

"Generally refers to time spent alone," Caroline trailed off and gave him a pointed look.

"I still don't get it?" Kol's brows knit together. His eyes widened when Lexa leant over to breath in his ear quiet enough so the others couldn't hear: "Oh…." He cleared his throat and looked down at the cards in his hand. "I think I'm going to go with 'consensual sex'; it sounds very interactive."

"Elijah?" Rebekah gasped when her oldest brother took the point.

"It would appear you have to 'play to your audience' with this game Rebekah," he shrugged and laid the card aside.

Lexa nodded and reached for the cards. "I got 99 problems but _ ain't one." She looked up as the others started passing her white cards. "I'm very uncomfortable with that word may I change it to isn't?"

"Sure," Elena shrugged, "I don't see why not."

"Good because that is not a proper word in any language," she picked up the first card. "I've got 99 problems but 'concealing a boner' isn't one. Well that is true," she shrugged and read the next combo. "I've got 99 problems but my soul isn't one… masturbation isn't one…"

"That's becoming a bit of a problem for me," Elena breathed.

"That's what Elijah's for darling," Kol laughed when Lexa slapped his arm.

Elena blushed when she realized she had said it a little too loudly.

"May I continue?" Lexa shot her fiancé a glare. "I've got 99 problems but alcoholism isn't one… multiple stab wounds are not one… preteens are not one…"

"Not yet anyway," Rebekah mumbled with a glance at Lexa's flat stomach.

Lexa blushed and turned to glare at Kol. "Did you tell them?" He shook his head.

"Did he tell us what?" Elijah tidied his cards into a neat pile. "Oh… are you…"

Klaus lifted his head to shoot an inquisitive look at his baby brother.

"No," Kol cleared his throat and shrunk away from her glare, "I think you just did."

"At what point were you going to tell us that?" Rebekah spoke up.

"We were going to wait until after the full moon," Lexa took his hand under the table before turning to his sister, "although, it is nice not to have Klaus' commentary."

"Speak for yourselves," Caroline muttered while glaring at Klaus. Over the few weeks she had discovered that she could hear his voice in her head. It was nice for communication purposes but listening to some of his sarcastic comments did get a little annoying at times.

"So you are pregnant?" Rebekah asked to confirm. She squealed loudly when Lexa nodded causing Nik to flinch at the high frequency cry. "That's three babies I get to spoil… or is it four?"

"I'm pretty sure it's just one Rebekah," Lexa shook her head and laughed. The blood drained from her face when she thought about it though. "It is just one right… somebody listen and compare please…"

Kol smiled and squeezed her hand. "There's just one, Elskling," he leaned over and kissed her temple, "only one heartbeat."

After several more rounds the game dissolved. Everyone started heading their separate ways when Elijah motioned Kol and Lexa into the study.

"Something wrong Elijah?" Kol's arm wrapped around Lexa's shoulders as she leaned into him.

"I just thought you should know," Elijah looked between the couple, "that before Miss Bennet left town she found the name of the witch who ordered the coven to…"

"Why do we need to know this?" Kol tilted his head and glanced at Elena who had taken a seat in a club chair. "The witches are not a problem anymore thanks to the contract."

"But this one might be," Elena tucked a strand of hair back into her ponytail.

"The witches name is Esther," Elijah watched the colour drain from his baby brother's face. Confusion settled in Lexa's tired eyes.

"Who's Esther?" Lexa asked after a pregnant pause.

"Our mother," Kol breathed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not initially plan LOL to announce the baby this way, but it just kind of came out. I'm happy with it though; it's a lot more fun then the way I had planned.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

She looked down at her hand and watched in fascination as the light danced over her skin. The backlight behind the tank cast a rippling display over her freckles that put her in mind of the ocean. She had visited as a child and found the way the waves washed over the multi-coloured pebbles soothing and peaceful; there was nothing that couldn't be washed away by these waves.

If she closed her eyes she could almost hear the water lapping at the shore. A whole day could be wasted here. On this particular bench she would lose track of the hours while watching the schools of fish swim by. She found it quaint that they always seemed to be in a hurry while their larger friends were content to swim in lazy circles.

With her eyes closed the shrieks of over-excited children faded to be replaced by the calming sounds of the waves. They sounded so close; almost as if she were lying on the beach. She felt as if she could stretch out and touch the waves.

Nearby dolphins chattered. They were close to; her imagination was not that good.

Her head tipped back to look up into a pair of playful blue eyes. She rolled her eyes and stifled a laugh when she saw the phone in his hand from which the waves of the ocean rose.

"What are you doing?" She sighed with feigned exasperation.

"Lulling you into a state of bliss before whisking you off for lunch," he shut off the soundtrack and pocketed the phone with a smirk.

She found her gaze drawn to the curve of his lip when he helped her to her feet. "I can't go too far," she warned, "there is a sick sea turtle in need of my attention… I think he might be older than you."

"I doubt that," he grinned. When her hand was securely tucked into his arm he led her out through the doors of the Georgia Aquarium.

She allowed her mind to drift when he opened the door to the restaurant and led her to the table.

* * *

_Flashback_

_The fork poked idly at the half eaten salad. Her chin rested on her palm to combat the setting fatigue. A week into her second year of residency was proving that her chosen field, while rewarding, was exhausting._

_Partial blame fell on the extended stay in New Orleans. She had meant to leave earlier in the day so she would have time to relax. However, her companion's charisma had proven too strong to resist, she'd only managed a few hours of sleep before her shift._

_The remainder of the blame fell on him. She hadn't replied to a single message since the first day. She was too consumed with whether or not his last name meant what she thought it did._

_The most logical solution would have been to call Stefan and ask what his brother's name was. To ask what his brother looked like, but if she did that she might end up admitting to one of her dear friends that she'd had relations with his brother. That was one thing she didn't want to do._

_The other option was to brush it off and pretend it had not happened. That was proving even harder. Granted, she had been intoxicated, but it had been the best sexual experience of her life. She couldn't get him out of her head. He had been haunting her dreams… in the most exhilarating of ways._

_He had sent her a message a day. They had started out filthy before becoming flirty. The messages had quickly delved into the realm of concern when she didn't reply._

_She fingered the phone before opening the most recent message. If he was who she was thinking he was it raised serious questions. Had his obsession changed lanes, or was he genuinely concerned for her well-being? The text seemed to imply the latter; even in her dreams he was beginning to show concern. She assumed it was her brains way of working through the question._

_ Do I really want to get involved with this man? He's a vampire and possibly prone to obsessive behaviour; not exactly an ideal combination. _

_Even as she thought it her thumb hovered over the keyboard; he was getting harder to ignore. She could almost hear his voice softly calling her name._

_"Daphne?"_

_ Wait a minute; that wasn't in my head. _

_She lifted her head and ran her eyes over his lean frame. His eyes danced with suppressed joy and unbridled relief. He appeared to be holding himself back. she nodded when he motioned to the vacant chair at her table and watched as he dropped into the chair. Her arms crossed on the table when she leaned forward suddenly very alert._

_"Fancy seeing you here, Dr. McKenna," he smirked and leaned across the table._

_"Damon," she pressed her lips into a thin line, "what did I say about your Sherlock-stalker vibe?" She spoke slowly as she would to a child._

_"That you wouldn't respond well to it," he deadpanned. "I'm not stalking you Doc."_

_"Then how do you know I'm a doctor?" She raised a brow in challenge._

_"It's on your ID badge." Damon reached out and tapped the plastic hanging on her chest. "Dr. Daphne McKenna, DVM. That's veterinary medicine?" Damon read in an imitation of her drawl._

_Her eyes were drawn to her mouth when he read out her qualifications. She swallowed when he stopped talking._

_"What are you doing here Damon?"_

_"Looking for you," he shrugged._

_"So you are stalking me," she rolled her eyes and sighed. An aneurysm in a crowded restaurant would be too much, right? "How did you find me Damon?"_

_"I'm not stalking you Doc." His honest eyes found her doubtful ones. "I had every intention of calling you after I'd had a bite to eat. I was worried when you didn't answer me. Running into you here was a complete fluke."_

_Something in his gaze made her believe him. She glanced at her hands but found her vervain ring still firmly in place._

_"Alright," she leaned forward and whispered: "This bite to eat… food or people?" Her eyes sparkled with amusement._

_"Food," he chuckled. "Speaking of… can I take you out to dinner tonight?"_

_Daphne bit her lip and considered him. "What if I'm not interested?"_

_"Now that I know you're safe, if you are truly not interested I will leave," Damon nodded and frowned. "I think you are interested though."_

_Daphne's eyes roamed his honest expression. "Alright… so long as I don't wind up being dinner."_

* * *

"Daph?"

"Hmmm?" She perked up and blushed to the roots of her hair when she realized he had obviously called her name several times. She followed his amused eyes to the waitress.

"Do you want the usual, hon?" Sharon popped her bubble gum and grinned.

"Yes… thank you."

Damon waited until she left before shooting Daphne a look that was a cross between amusement and concern. "Are you alight there, Doc? You zoned out for a minute."

"I'm okay," she nodded. "I'm just tired. I've been having some very vivid dreams the past few weeks; they're nice but usually end up leaving me more exhausted then when I went to sleep." Her dreams of Damon were hyper realistic and half the time erotically charged so she was left hot and bothered in the morning.

"Perhaps your dreams just need to be made a reality," Damon didn't miss the way her eyes flickered from his lips to his chest.

Damon had been 'suffering' from dreams as well. The first few days after Daphne had left he had tried to focus on the twin situation, but the longer she went without answering the more concerned he became. He abandoned the city to find her and was so relieved when she was safe he hadn't raised any objections to her rules. She had made it very clear she was not about to jump back into bed. He was pretty sure his dreams had grown hotter the longer they were together. He hadn't given 'Katherine' a second thought in weeks.

"You don't even know what I'm dreaming about," Daphne looked to her coffee before seeking his eyes. She sat down her mug and smoothed her hand over her glossy ponytail.

"I think I can guess," he wet his lips and gave her a rather suggestive wink.

"Can you?" Her eyes sparkled when she silently slipped off her shoe. She smirked when she ran her toes up the length of his leg and he choked on his water. Daphne found she was grateful for the draped tablecloth as she continued across his thigh before slowly retreating and repeating the action.

"Are you working late tonight?" Damon sputtered when his throat cleared.

"I'm done at 7," she grinned.

* * *

Rebekah lay stiff as a board and listened to the distant voices of her brothers. If she strained her ears she could make out the heart beats of three unborn children. She released a shuddering breath and carded her fingers through her hair.

"Rebekah?"

Her chin trembled in the dark room. She wanted to respond but her voice had retreated into her body. Rebekah could have searched for hours and never found it.

She had told herself for months that she was happy even as her heart ached for what she couldn't have.

After a thousand years her desires had not changed. She wanted someone to love her and to be loved by her. She wanted a family of her own.

Rebekah had grown to see Elena as a member of her family, but watching her new sister grow with her brother's children was physically painful. And now there would be another child. How long until she had to watch Lexa's body shift as well?

"Rebekah," Stefan wrapped an arm around her trembling frame and pressed his lips to her shoulder, "what's wrong baby?"

Her eyes squeezed shut as the endearment opened the floodgates. She turned and buried her face in his neck and sobbed. Her greatest wish was for a way for one of them to be human again. After a while of Stefan rubbing soothing circles on her back, and pressing soft kisses to her hair Rebekah's sobs subsided.

She pulled back and searched his eyes. "I wish I'd met you in 1864," she breathed.

"I know," he kissed her forehead and settled beside her, "so do I… human me would have been all over you… of course I would have had to get past your brothers first."

"Suppose it's good we met when we did," Rebekah half sobbed and laughed, "Nik would have killed you." She sniffled and tightened her arm around him.

"It there was a way Rebekah…" Stefan had never considered children or a family after turning, but he was thinking of it now. He found he would have been thrilled to welcome a family with the woman in his arms. "If there was a way I'd gladly do it."

"Thank you," she mouthed before closing her eyes. She drifted off to the distant sounds of her brothers' anxious tones.

* * *

Kol paced the length of the room and fumed. With each pass of the couch Elena and Lexa bristled. Kol was radiating energy; the unbridled magic lifted the hair on the women's necks and caused Elena's twins to kick fiercely.

Kol's fingers raked through his short hair. "Why would she do that?" He hissed. "What possible reason could mother have to justify killing a baby?"

"Two," Elena flinched. One of the girls decided her ribs were a xylophone.

"Two," Kol corrected. The blood drained from his face when his eyes fell to Lexa.  _Three? Where is the line drawn?_

"I don't know," Elijah watched his brother's movements. "I've been asking myself that very question for over a month. I doubt there is a living soul who could explain it."

Kol groaned and dropped into an armchair. "There was nobody who understood her mind when she was alive." He threw his head back and stared at the ceiling. The gears in his mind were spinning out of control struggling to find any answer. "Why would you tell me that?" He fought in vain to align this new information with his loving mother.

The chair shifted slightly when Lexa perched on the arm and took his hand. The strong thrumming of his child's heart was all the answer he needed. Concentrating on that he felt his blood pressure lower. If not for his supernatural hearing he might have missed his brother's reply.

"We thought you should know," Elijah sat in Lexa's vacated spot beside Elena. "If mother tries again… I'm not positive she wouldn't go after your child as well."

"Who goes after their own flesh and blood like this?" Lexa blinked back tears as her confusion grew. She stiffened and relaxed when Kol's hand stole around her back and pulled her from the arm of the chair into his lap.

"Shame nobody alive can answer that," Elena laid a protective hand over her naval.

"What about somebody dead?" Lexa chewed her cheek. Kol was surely exaggerating. Everybody had someone who knew them right? So what if Esther's children didn't know her mind? Wasn't it a parents job to shield their children from the darkest parts of themselves, from the harsh realities of their own lives? The longer Lexa thought about it the more certain she became that their mother had been hiding something fundamental about herself.

"I doubt it," Kol slid his fingers into her hair.

"Mother spent very little time with people outside of the family." Elijah looked at Elena inquisitively when she stifled a giggle.

"I'm sorry," Elena drew in a shuddering breath and tempered her grin, "nothing about this is funny."

"Then why are you laughing love?"

"Just the way you said 'the family'," Elena shook her head, "it made you sound like an '80's mobster."

"The Original mob?" Lexa deadpanned. She and Elena looked at each other in silence before bursting with laughter.

Elijah and Kol chuckled and waited for their mates to calm themselves; it wasn't like they were wrong in the assessment. Elena laid her head on Elijah's shoulder and wiped away a few tears.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled when he draped his arm around her shoulders.

"It's alright," Elijah kissed her temple. "I thought it was a rather accurate description." He turned his gaze to the armchair. "No, Lexa I don't think there is anyone dead who would understand her motives… aside from her."

"Oddly enough I don't think summoning the woman, who had it out for our children, a good idea." Lexa ran her thumb over Kol's hand and twisted his daylight ring.

"What about someone undead…" Kol leaned forward, "…and asleep?"

"Finn?"

"He was her right hand," Kol nodded. A maniacal gleam entered his eyes. "He was her favorite; privy to secrets we wouldn't even think to ask about. I wouldn't have been surprised if he knew about Nik."

"Are you suggesting what I think you are suggesting?" Elijah mimicked Kol's body language. "He will not be pleased at being left asleep for so long."

"I think we should un-dagger him," Kol raised his eyebrows. "I say we wake the pretentious sycophant… unless you are afraid of Nik?"

"I am more afraid of Caroline than I am of Niklaus," Elijah admitted.

"She is terrifying," Kol agreed with a shudder.

"The two of you are over a thousand years old," Lexa looked between the brothers, "and you're afraid of Caroline Forbes?"

There was little hesitation in the joint response: "Yes!"

* * *

"What are you doing?" Daphne giggled sleepily. With her eyes firmly shut she could feel his tongue leaving a wet trail after his dancing fingers. Daphne peeked through her lashes at the clock that told her it was mid-morning. "I finally get a night of dreamless sleep and you wake me up?"

"I'm counting your freckles," Damon murmured against her pert breast. "I did tell you I had planned for that… although I didn't intend for you to wake me up until I got a bit lower."

Daphne moaned when his teeth grazed her nipple. "How many are there?" She cupped his cheeks and drew him to her lips.

"I'm afraid I lost count," Damon grinned and traced her lips with his tongue. His hand ghosted over her stomach to her hip. "There is a lovely patch right here that I think I'll explore next." He pulled back and met her enchanting eyes. "Would you rather go back to sleep?"

"I'm already awake," her breathing increased when he started making his way down her neck.

She groaned when a loud buzzing distracted her from his mouth.

"Ignore it," Damon growled from her naval.

"It could be work," she sighed and reached for the phone.

"Isn't it your day off?" Damon rubbed circles over her hips and nipped at her skin.

"Sick sea turtle," she reminded him and blindly hit the button to answer the phone. She mock glared at him when his lips trailed lower.

"McKenna," her voice was breathless. She bit back a moan and tugged his hair when his tongue ran the length of her slit and pressed firmly against her clit.

_"I think I've got the wrong number. I was looking for Damon."_

Had Daphne not been so distracted she might have recognized the voice. As it was she pulled the phone from her ear and peered at it through lidded eyes.

"He's right here," she passed the phone to Damon and gasped when he replaced his tongue with his fingers.

"Hello," Damon answered in a singsong voice. "Stefan? I'm in Atlanta, why? Is something wrong?" He listened for a moment before nodding; his hand continued to work her over.

"Alright, I'll see you in a few days." Damon cut off the call and tossed his phone aside. He refocused on Daphne. "Want to meet my brother, Doc?"

"Wha…" Daphne struggled to make sense of his words. Damon had worked her to the point of orgasm. Her body had trembled with the effort to remain quiet. She whimpered when he withdrew his hand and propped his chin lightly on her belly. "What? Why?"

"I said: 'would you like to meet my brother in a few days'?" Damon smirked at the frustrated set of her mouth.

"Yes… fine," she growled and threaded her fingers through his hair. She forced his head lower and glared. "Now finish what you started."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter jumped around a lot. The next one is half written and take place a few days later on the day of graduation, which happens to be the night before the full moon.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.

"Why so long?" Elena looked at Elijah whose eyes were on the road as he directed the Porsche through the crowded streets of the Quarter.

Elijah pulled into an empty space at the University and cut the engine. He watched the crowds of well-dressed people making their way to the lawn with weary eyes. To the untrained eye it would appear as if he hadn't heard the question. Finally, after a palpable silence that made Caroline antsy, he answered her. "He hated this life, Elena. It was safer for all of us for him to remain neutralized."

"It didn't hurt that he's a real stick in the mud," Kol grinned and opened Caroline's car door. "He is a true… buzzkill… with a rigid sense of right and wrong."

"You left your brother asleep for 900 years because he was a buzzkill?" Lexa grimaced at the unfamiliar word. She straightened her sundress and adjusted her cardigan. "That seems unnecessarily harsh."

"Finn believed we were all damned," Elijah helped Elena into the black gown, "in his mind you were either evil or not. He believed us soulless monsters and saw no hope for our redemption." He stared vacantly into the crowds.

There were many times he had lost sight of it. While Elijah had always fought tirelessly for Niklaus' soul he had come to see himself as irredeemable; he would wonder if there was any way to go back and viewed himself as unworthy of forgiveness for his past crimes. Whenever Elijah had achieved anything worthwhile it had been ripped away from him; this made him extremely paranoid when it came to Elena and their children.

Elijah glanced down when he felt her hand take his. He shook himself from his negative thoughts and raised her hand to his lips. Elena saw something good in him; he often wondered what he had done to deserve her. She embodied so many of the traits he admired and aspired to as a human. Years ago he had been inspired by her compassion to turn around and search for his own redemption again; long before he'd thought she would ever be his.

He glanced back at the crowds and squeezed her hand. Something about the day made him uneasy. They were too open, too exposed, too vulnerable. He knew that the witches wouldn't try anything, but something wasn't right. He could sense something out of place.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" Elijah asked with his eyes still trained on the shifting crowds.

"Someone's paranoid," Elena teased. She gently pulled him across the lawn.

"I'm sorry Elena," he watched the people around them, "it's a default setting… the university will…" Elijah jolted when her hand was pulled from his. He shifted into a position to attack and gave a low snarl when he felt Kol's arm holding him in place.

The veins under his eyes darkened and his fangs descended. Elijah didn't have to look far before he found her with a tall man who had his arms around her in a vice grip. The man had a gleam in his eyes and a grin on his lips.

"You're huge 'Lena," the man snickered. "I can barely get my arms around you."

"How rude," Elena huffed in an eerily accurate impersonation of Stephanie Tanner. This caused her captor to laugh and give her a tight squeeze.

"I missed you, sis."

Elena snickered and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I missed you, Jer." She stepped back to look at him. "Did you get taller?"

"No," Jeremy shook his head and laughed. "You alright, Elijah?" He carefully examined the rigid set of the Original's shoulders and the veins writhing under his eyes.

"He's just a little on edge mate," Kol moved to clap Jeremy's shoulder. "For future reference you should really announce yourself before snatching a vampire's soulmate. He might have attacked if I hadn't seen you and pulled him back."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jeremy accepted Elijah's handshake. "Does everyone that touches my sister get that response?"

"Only when their intentions are unknown," Elijah nodded and settled his hand on Elena's waist. "It's nice to see you Jeremy."

"And you," Jeremy followed towards the seating area. "Was that a typical soulmate reaction, or should I be worried about my sister's safety?"

"She is perfectly safe Jer," Caroline motioned to the group before taking Elena's arm. "Elena is surrounded by vampires and witches everyday who want her safe." With that thought the girls waved and left to take their places in line.

"Witches?" Jeremy looked at the Original's. "Is Bonnie here to?"

"No," Lexa shook her head and smiled. "Caroline was referring to me." She left Kol's name out of it. They had all agreed after Nik was cursed that it would be best if as few people as possible knew about Kol's abilities.

"And you are…" Jeremy smiled and took a seat on the other side of Elijah. He looked carefully at the woman currently being flanked by the Original's. The way the Mikaelsons sat on other side of her made it look as if she were being guarded.

Kol leaned forward and gave Jeremy a cheeky smile while making the introduction. "This gorgeous woman is my fiancée Lexa. Elskling this is my mate Jeremy… he's also Elena's little brother."

"'Mate' might be a bit of a stretch," Jeremy glanced at Kol. His eyes focused on Lexa when he took her hand. She seemed normal enough, but then again, so did the Originals. "It's nice to meet you," he glanced at her ring, "Elena mentioned Kol was getting married. When's the wedding?"

"Two weeks," Lexa smiled. She would have married him the moment he asked if not for Kol wanting to get married on the anniversary of the day they met. She had teased him about being a hopeless romantic even as she fell in love with the idea. She was just keeping her fingers crossed and hoping she didn't start to show before then. She would be fourteen weeks on her wedding day and it would be really annoying to have to alter the dress.

"You should come if you're still in town," Lexa grinned. It would be nice to have more people there. Currently she only had two people invited: Cami and a witch from San Francisco who knew the truth of Lexa's past. She had actually invited three witches but only one could make it.

"Sure," Jeremy nodded.

"Great," Lexa clapped. She had a feeling Jeremy was having Kol on and that they really were friends. Even if they were not, he was Elena's brother and that made him family.

Jeremy looked around as the ceremony began. He could almost feel the tension in Elijah's body as he sat on the edge of his seat and examined the crowd. Elijah's attention was split between Elena who was moving the tassel out of her eyes and the surrounding people. Jeremy noted that he seemed to be measuring the distance. His thoughts were confirmed when Lexa gently touched Elijah's arm and whispered for him to relax.

Jeremy watched his sister walk across the stage and accept her degree. He smiled when she and Caroline tossed their caps in the air. Finally he watched the tension leave Elijah's body when they approached the girls after the ceremony.

"Well," Elena stepped away from a small cluster with Caroline and held out her hands, "how do I look? Any different?"

"You look like a teenager whose gotten herself in trouble," Jeremy laughed and kissed her cheek.

"Very funny," Elena rolled her eyes. She leaned back against Elijah when he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. She took off her cap and settled her hands over his on her stomach.

"You look radiant," Elijah pressed his lips to her cheek.

Elena smiled and turned her head to give him a soft look. The love shining in his eyes made her heart skip a beat and her stomach flutter. She blinked in confusion when a flash went off in front of them.

"That photo-op was too cute to pass up," Caroline grinned. a wild gleam entered her eyes then that made Elena groan.

It was nearly two hours, and an unknown number of pictures, later when they arrived back at the mansion.

* * *

"You seem tense," Kol chirped. He reached out and flipped on the light. The cellar was instantly bathed in a golden glow that illuminated the row of coffins; he counted five. He was once more struck with the oddity of the situation. "Have you ever wondered why Nik carts around an extra coffin?"

"Yes," Elijah approached the first casket and lifted the lid, "that question has baffled me for centuries."

"Maybe he likes to nap in it from time to time," Kol quipped.

"Embracing the cliché," Lexa murmured. Her weary eyes locked on the smooth mahogany finish. She didn't need the brothers to tell her which was the extra coffin. A dark energy lifted from the casket to raise the hair on the back of her neck.

"He does have an odd sense of irony," Elena shivered. Something in the room was making her uneasy. She looked to Finn in his neutralized state and decided that the unknown vampire was not the source of her anxiety.

"That he does," Elijah looked over Finn. His hand hovered over the dagger as his eyes traced his brother's ashen skin.

Lexa tore her gaze from the farthest casket and glared at Elijah and Kol. "What are you waiting for?" She tried not to snap; tried not to focus her nerves into anger. "If we are doing this we need to do it now. Especially since both of you believe that Klaus will try to stop you."

"He most definitely will," Elijah frowned and looked to Elena. "You should wait upstairs."

"Both of you should," Kol agreed. He cut in before Lexa could object. "I'm not trying to coddle you love. Finn has been asleep for 900 years; he'll be famished."

"Aren't Original's known for impeccable control?" Lexa grumbled.

"We have had a thousand years to gain that control," Elijah explained. "Finn was neutralized before he could learn. Even if he did know control I wouldn't trust him around either of you until he had fed."

"When my dagger was removed, after Spain, it had been 119 years." Kol met Lexa's green eyes. "I drained 14 servants before I realized what was happening." He'd slaughtered more on a rampage when he found out how long he had been in the box.

"Please wait upstairs," Elijah touched Elena's shoulder. "We will bring Finn up when he is no longer a danger to either of you or Jeremy."

"Alright," Elena nodded. She turned around linked arms with Lexa and ascended the stairs. "Do you have enough blood?" She called back down.

"I should think so, love," Kol eyed the cooler he had brought downstairs. He listened and heard them walk into the kitchen. Kol started chanting in Latin when Elijah finally lifted the dagger. He answered Elijah's inquisitive look with a shrug. "Boundary spell: I don't trust he won't run off when he hears them upstairs."

"Good idea," Elijah nodded and tucked the blade away. "Does that mean we are trapped down here as well?"

"Yeah," Kol nodded, "the spell keeps vampires in, so we are stuck here until I lower the spell… or Lexa or Elena does. Were you planning on using that dagger again?"

"I was thinking about dropping it into the ocean," Elijah chuckled, "one less dagger in play for Niklaus or an enemy to use."

"If you want to take it out of the game entirely give it to Lexa," Kol grinned at his brothers confused expression. He launched into an explanation while they waited.

It was nearly an hour later when Finn sat up gasping for breath. He looked around wildly before his eyes landed on his brothers. Swallowing he tried to speak only to find his mouth full of sawdust.

Elijah pulled out a blood bag and opened it. He suspected Finn didn't hear the instructions for drinking. Several bags later the colour finally returned to Finn's body, but it was clear he was still hungry.

Finn slowly got to his feet while keeping a wary eye on his younger brothers. He had the certain sense that he had been unconscious for a long time; there was no way fashion had changed this drastically overnight. His eyes flickered to the ornate wall sconces and the assembled coffins before settling on Elijah.

"What happened?" The last thing he could remember was Alexander pushing a thin silver digger through his heart. "Where is that traitorous snake? I shall kill him."

Kol listened for the sound of Nik's heart in the kitchen before realizing that Finn was talking about someone else. "Alexander is dead," his eyes flashed with the memory, "Nik killed him and his brotherhood. The dagger didn't work on him because of his werewolf side."

"How long was that blade in me?"

"A while," Elijah's hands slid into his pockets. "It was safer for all of us that way."

Finn could feel his anger rising. "How long?"

"900 years," Kol answered. He had barely gotten the words out when Finn tackled him and pinned him to the stairs with a loud thunk.  _Yup, he's definitely still hungry._

"You two left me asleep for 900 years?" Finn hissed. His eyes flashed dangerously. He was tightening his hold on Kol's neck when pain ripped through his skull.

"I thought we agreed you two would wait upstairs," Elijah held Finn's arms behind his back. His eyes were glued to Lexa as she hastened down the stairs; he could hear Elena behind her.

Lexa stopped on the stairs and ran her eyes over Kol before turning to glare at the long haired man in medieval clothes. "Touch him again and I'll put you at the bottom of the sea," her eyes twitched as she growled.

"Perhaps that could wait until after he had helped us Elskling?" Kol rasped and drew her into his arms at the bottom of the stairs. He saw Finn's eyes widen in surprise when Elena was able to step down into the cellar.

Elena tucked a strand of hair behind her ears and surveyed the fractured wood around her feet. She laid a hand on her stomach and lifted her eyes to Elijah and Finn.

"Tatia?" Finn gaped when he got a good look at her features.

"That's a new one," Elena sighed, "usually it's Katherine." She rolled her eyes.

"You will have to forgive Finn. He slept through the Katerina debacle," Elijah loosened his grip when Finn stopped struggling. "This is Finn. Finn this is Lexa," he nodded to each woman in turn, "and Elena."

"A doppelganger," Finn scoffed, "Niklaus' greatest wish. I should kill you so he is unable to break the curse." Finn cried out when Elijah wrenched his arm hard enough to cause a break.

"You will do no such thing," he growled. Danger flashed in his dark eyes. "Elena is my soulmate and the mother of my children; she is not to be harmed."

"You're having me on," Finn accused, "it's impossible. Practical jokes were never your style Elijah." One look at Elena, however, told Finn she wasn't lying when she confirmed Elijah's words.

 


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.  
> I reviewed some of the comments left on the story and using them I kind of came up with a new direction. Not far off the path that I was originally going with, but adding in some more. There is some foreshadowing in this chapter for what's to come; I wonder if anyone can find it.  
> Anyway got off topic... I counted the major events that are going to occur with the original plan and the extra's I added in. A major event typically centers around one chapter (unless there are multiple points of view: like the Celeste chapters) and there are 23 written down in my planning notebook.

Finn sat quietly and processed the explanation his brother had just delivered. He couldn’t quite digest it. The only piece of evidence Elijah had provided was the pregnancies of Elena and Lexa.

“Does that mean that you’re immortal now,” Jeremy leaned against the counter and eyes his sister who was grinding some herbs; “since he is?” he started tracing a pattern over the back of his hand. This was the first time he had received the full explanation.

“Essentially,” Elena shrugged and passed the herbs to Lexa.

“I’ve yet to see any further evidence of that.” Finn’s eyes flashed with suspicion.

“Finn,” Elijah’s voice lowered with a clear warning.

“No Elijah,” Elena nodded, “he’s right.”

“I wouldn’t have believed it 300 years ago,” Lexa ladled out some potion, “or even 200 years ago for that matter. I was firmly in denial.”

“You are a witch. Do you really expect me to believe that you have been alive that long?”

Lexa surprised him by smiling and reaching into a drawer. “I am a witch whose soulmate is a vampire,” she poised her hand over the sink and dragged a knife across her palm. She laughed when the wound closed almost immediately. “The universe has a wonderfully strange sense of humor.” She passed another knife to Elena.

“Isn’t one of you cutting yourselves enough?” Finn watched Elena warily eye the knife.

“I find myself agreeing with Finn,” Elijah took the knife and moved to set it on the counter, “you do not need to prove anything. He believes us now. Don’t you Finn?”

“There is no other reason she would heal that quickly,” Finn nodded reluctantly, “no spell would work that quickly.”

“While it’s nice you believe us,” Lexa picked up the knife again, “I actually need a few drops of Elena’s blood: it’s the last ingredient.”

Elena rolled her eyes and sighed before holding out her hand because of course it was her blood. “Why am I always the one to break Klaus’ curses?”

“Petrova blood is a powerful binding agent,” Lexa explained. “I didn’t think anything of it at the time but Sabine/Celeste took the knife with your blood. The only way she could curse Klaus was with what little blood remained. Your blood was used to seal the curse therefore your blood is needed to break it.”

“You really should have thought of that last month,” Klaus flashed into the room and grumbled.

Elena blinked at the window. The moon had risen while they were busy convincing Finn of the validity of their claims. Elena wasn’t sure it he had seen Finn yet; she doubted it. Klaus was currently intent on downing the glass with his cure.

“I have to say this one tastes better,” Klaus grimaced. “I’m going to assume that’s your blood,” he winked at Elena, “delicious love.”

“Dios mio,” Lexa sighed, “you’re worse than Kol. I think I’m going to miss the silence.”

“Is there something else I should have said?”

“Mmm,” Lexa considered. “You could have said ‘thank you Lexa for breaking my curse’. I didn’t have to help.” She pointed to Elijah and Kol. “Unlike these two I’m not afraid of Caroline.”

“Don’t be too hard on him Lexa. He has always required assistance to show gratitude.”

“Finn?” Klaus breathed. The look on his face was priceless. His mouth popped open and his eyes widened. “What the bloody hell did you two do?” His voice rose in volume causing Elena to jump. “Sorry, love.”

“Niklaus…”

“Why would you wake him up?” Klaus cut Elijah off.

“Evidently they need my help,” Finn’s eyes flickered to the blonde vampire at the door. “They haven’t told me why yet having been too preoccupied with explaining the miracle pregnancies.” His eyes focused on Caroline. “I’ve met Elena’s brother, but I have yet to meet you.”

“Caroline Forbes,” she blushed when Finn lifted her hand to his lips.

“How are you tied to my family Miss Forbes?”

“Elena and I have been best friends since we were kids,” Caroline reclaimed her hand, “and Klaus is my soulmate.”

“Are Rebekah and I the only ones without soulmates?” Finn leaned back in his chair and scoffed. He watched Klaus pull a few bags of blood from the large box Elena had said was a refrigerator. Marvelling at the convenience of blood in this century he forced himself to focus on his younger brothers.

“Actually Rebekah has taken a trip with her soulmate,” Lexa averted her eyes from the blood.

“Brilliant,” Finn rolled his eyes. “Why did you wake me Elijah? I am ecstatic to be out of that coffin, but also very curious.”

“We thought you might be able to get into mother’s head,” Elijah explained, “and tell us why she is trying to kill our children.”

“Mother had been dead for over a thousand years,” Finn was mildly surprised to find Niklaus as confused as him.

“She had been manipulating witches from the Other Side,” Kol wrapped his arms around Lexa’s waist and propped his chin on her hair. “We have taken care of the witches in the city, but we would like to know what we’re dealing with.”

“Perhaps mother has seen the error of her ways and is trying to correct the balance. Maybe she’s trying to keep it from getting any worse.” Finn’s eyes flickered between Elena’s large stomach and Lexa’s flat one. “Children like this will surely destroy the balance.”

Elena felt the anger rise in her chest and race down her arm.

Elijah took hold of Elena’s hand before she could set his brother on fire. “Let’s assume that is not the case. Can you think of another reason?”

“One,” Finn hesitated.

“Would you like to share your theory with the rest of the class?” Caroline asked drily.

“It is highly unlikely,” Finn frowned. “Mother is more likely to want to correct her mistakes. She likely views the children the way many would view us: as abominations.”

Kol and Elijah glared at their older brother. Low growls told Finn he had better quit while he was behind before he ended up back in the box. The hard looks Elena and Lexa’s eyes promised a much darker end if he were to make another unsavory comment about their babies.

“What’s the other theory?” Caroline asked. She could see her friends pressing their lips together to keep from hexing Finn into next week.

Finn narrowed his eyes and leaned back. He had kept his mother’s secrets for centuries to shield her from his father’s wrath; to preserve the perfect image she had striven to maintain for the rest of her children. He knew a large part of his mother’s decision to turn them into what they now were was because of the sterility that Esther knew would befall them. She had wanted to protect her children from everything including the pain of having a child ripped from their arms.

Finn’s eyes flickered between his brothers. They had left him in a box for centuries. He thought of his mother who had made him a monster. Those two facts combined with the knowledge that waking him had been as simple as removing a knife made Finn angrier than he had been in his entire life. It rivaled the anger he felt towards his mother and was enough to make him want to destroy the rose tinted glasses through which his siblings viewed her more than he wanted to protect her secrets.

“It could have something to do with Freya,” Finn shrugged.

“Freya?” Elena moved to sit in one of the dining room chairs. “Who is Freya?”

“She was our older sister,” Klaus explained. “She died years before we were born.”

“No,” Finn shook his head, “it was the winter before Elijah was born, and she didn’t die. Mother was barren.”

“A barren woman went on to have seven children?” Kol scoffed. “There is definitely more to this story.”

“It was before she started practicing magic,” Finn explained, “when she knew next to nothing of the craft. She didn’t start practicing until after Elijah was born. When she found out she was barren she went to a witch… her sister Dahlia. In exchange for her fertility our aunt demanded the first born child. Mother agreed. Years later Dahlia came to collect while father was away. Before she left with Freya she reminded mother that the terms of the deal were for every firstborn child that came from her bloodline.”

After a lengthy pause where Finn lost himself in the memory Elijah finally asked. “What happened?”

“She took Freya,” he murmured. “Mother swore she would never allow another child to be taken and fabricated a story to explain Freya’s disappearance. As far as father was concerned she died of the plague.” He cleared his throat and crossed his arms. “It could be that mother is making good on her promise. She might be trying to kill the children to keep them from Dahlia.”

Elijah’s jaw clenched. “There is no way that Dahlia would still be alive. It’s been a thousand years. No witch can live for centuries.” His mother was trying to kill his unborn children to spite her dead sister? He never could have imagined her being so petty. As if from a great distance he heard himself mumbling an excuse.

Stepping into the study he drew in a deep breath. He didn’t hear the raised voices of his brothers nor the soft knock on the door. His hand closed around a table covered in papers; a moment later it splintered under his hand.

The next this he became aware of was a slim pair of arms wrapping around his waist. Blinking he settled his hands on her back and slowly brought the room back into focus. It had been centuries since he had last lost his temper; even longer since he had completely destroyed a room.

Elena’s hand slid up to cup his cheek. The soothing motion of her thumb drew his attention from the large splinters of wood. He breathed heavily and focused on the deep concern reflected in her wide brown eyes.

“I…” he looked around at the chaos. Looking towards the partially closed door he could see the path she had taken through the debris. How long had she been standing there? He had been so consumed with his anger he hadn’t seen Elena. Guilt settled in his chest when the twins kicked: he could have hurt all three of them. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she reassured him. Elena brushed some wood and glass from his hair. “Do you want to talk about it, or would you prefer to break some more furniture?”

“I just found out my mother traded away the life of her first born child and every first born child thereafter,” he gripped her hips tightly. “I don’t know what to do with that information Elena.”

Elena carefully watched his face as he spoke. She could see the weight on his shoulders. She had experienced that crushing emotion when she thought Bonnie had wanted to murder her children. It was the feeling of utter hopelessness that only came from the deepest of betrayals committed by a loved one; from learning that this person was not who you thought they were. She could only imagine how much worse this was for Elijah. She could see the hatred growing in his eyes when he spoke of his mother. It made Elena’s heart break to know he was officially losing whatever feelings of warmth he had managed to hold onto for the Original Witch.

She caught a tear sliding down his cheek and drew his eyes down to look at her again. “You take it one day at a time. Content yourself with the knowledge that, thanks to Lexa’s contract, there is very little she can do from the Other Side.”

“And my aunt?” The word felt foreign on his tongue. None of them had ever been aware of the existence of Dahlia. “What if she tries to take our children Elena?”

“What are the odds she is even still alive?”

“Celeste survived,” he reminded her gently.

“If she is alive then… we cross that bridge when we come to it,” she conceded. “Nobody is taking these children. They would have to get through you and me first… not to mention your siblings.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter catches us up with the Salvatore's in Atlanta. Daphne will finally be forced to face the fact that it's not a coincidence. Damon will realize that she knows his brother.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.  
> I know I said this chapter was going to focus on Stefan, Rebekah, Damon and Daphne but I changed my mind. I think that will be told in flashbacks from Stefan's memory.  
> In this AU the Originals have had zero interaction with their mother since her death. Klaus eventually undaggered his siblings. And Elena made her deal with Klaus before anyone could steal Esther's coffin. I actually alluded to the location of her coffin. Basically the Originals have had no interaction with Esther, but Elijah knew about Niklaus killing their mother because of Aurora; which is why he might have understood her striking out against Klaus.  
> Brighteyescoldheart - Daphne is the witch who came to New Orleans with Stefan to 'save' Elena. I hadn't thought about BonniexFinn but I am now considering it because after your comment I started thinking about it and I could actually see that happening so maybe :)

It had been two weeks since the awakening of Finn. In that short window of time his negative commentary on the validity of the lives of his brothers' children had earned him several things: a broken neck from Elijah, an infection from Niklaus – which was later corrected for fear he might unintentionally harm someone – and a rather painful hex from Kol.

Finn could see it in Lexa's glass green eyes. She regretted destroying his dagger. He suspected that the only reason she had was to prevent it from one day being turned on her mate. He was careful to keep his mouth shut around her. His brothers could cause brief lived pain, but they were family and would never cause any permanent damage; it was impossible for them anyway, but Finn was extremely wary of Lexa's abilities. He knew that a witch's strength grew with each passing year they spent immersed in the craft. Finn might have hated his existence, he might have desired the release of death for the chance to atone for his sins, but he hated physical pain more; he knew that after 300 years Lexa would have the magical capabilities to sentence him to an eternity of physical torment that would make his time under the dagger feel like a tropical vacation.

Finn steered clear of the blonde and offered semi-sincere congratulations on her nuptials scheduled for the next day.

He had made the mistake of voicing his disapproval in front of Caroline. Finn had gotten a traumatizing tongue lashing for that which made him realize why his brothers were afraid of the baby vampire.

Finn found he liked Stefan well enough. As far as vampires went he was decent. The fact that he had a calming influence on Rebekah, who had grown wild and vindictive over the centuries, certainly helped.

Of all the soulmates residing in the house Elena and Elijah baffled him the most. The fact that Elena had pulled his brother back from the edge of destruction had not gone unnoticed. He had initially thought she would be like Tatia, but two weeks of observation had shown that they were fundamentally different people. Elena showed no desire to tear his brothers apart. The love she shared with Elijah ran deep and burnt exceptionally bright. The affection he had once held for Tatia would have been unable to hold a candle to it. Even under the uncertainty of the future he had caught the couple in several moments of pure joy; he couldn't remember the last time he had seen Elijah so carefree and happy.

Elena had proven herself to be a kind and compassionate woman with an old soul. Even so Finn gave her a wide berth as well. He had voiced his opinions to her once without Elijah present and had suffered a nasty third degree burn.

Finn twirled a pen between his fingers and closed his eyes to listen to the sound of four laughing woman upstairs. Opening his eyes he tapped the pen on the table and started to write.

* * *

"I don't know about this colour," Lexa frowned at her toes.

Rebekah looked up from where she was applying a second coat of electric blue polish to Elena's toes. "I like it," she grinned, "it's deep… it's daring… it's …"

"Bloody," Lexa quirked an eyebrow, "and making me nauseas." Her nose crinkled in disgust. She smiled gratefully when Caroline hastened to remove the crimson stains from her feet.

"So Lexa," Rebekah capped her nail polish, "tomorrow is the big day. Are you nervous?"

"What?" Lexa blinked over the rim of her water glass.

"Do you want us to drive the getaway car?" Rebekah giggled. She turned in the direction of the sitting room below them to address the voice only she and Caroline could clearly hear. "Relax Kol. I was only joking."

Lexa's eyes sparkled with amusement. "No thank you Rebekah," she smirked and listened carefully so she could hear the reaction. "If I'm going to make a hasty getaway it will be done with a spell. I'd rather not have to endure the runaway bride jokes."

Before she could even finish her sentence there was a loud thump outside the door. Lexa shrieked when Caroline pushed her down and tossed a purple throw over her head. She was expecting Kol to break the door down, so she was surprised when he didn't. A second later she figured out why; Elijah and Klaus had each grabbed one of his arms.

They all collapsed in a fit of giggles when they heard Kol protest every step of the way.

"Okay," Caroline gasped. She sat back against the head board and nudged Lexa's arm. "How about the typical pre-wedding discussion about what goes where on your wedding night?"

Lexa snickered and rolled her eyes. "I'm fourteen weeks pregnant," she laid her hand over the tiny protrusion between her hip bones, "I'm pretty sure I know where everything goes."

"Fair point," Caroline nodded in mock solemnity.

"Speaking of," Rebekah reached for her wine glass, "are you sure you're having just one?" She eyed her brothers' soulmates where they now sat side by side against the headboard.

"Yeah, why?" Lexa's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Because I can hear eight heartbeats in this room," Rebekah shrugged, "the four of us and four unborn children."

"Well I've only got one in here," Lexa laughed and pointed to her abdomen. "Are we certain Elena doesn't have three?"

From downstairs they heard the sound of shattering glass. Elena's eyes widened. She frantically motioned to her stomach.

"Check now please before Elijah breaks down the door."

Rebekah sat her wine glass on the nightstand and dutifully leaned in. she closed her eyes and pressed her ear to Elena's belly before holding up to fingers and verbally confirming it. She moved on to Lexa and frowned when only one heart beat could be heard behind her naval. She was about to pull away when she heard something beside her.

Rebekah's blue eyes swivelled and locked on Caroline's flat stomach. In a flash her ear was pressed firmly to the young vampire's belly button. She held up a hand signifying that the other women should remain silent. Her hand came up to cover her mouth when she pinpointed the soft fluttering coming from deep inside of Caroline's womb.

Caroline's eyes widened. She gasped when she too was able to locate the sound of the heartbeat. It had been following her around all day, but she had almost always been with Elena or Lexa so she hadn't thought too much of it.

"Am I hearing what I think I'm hearing?" Caroline murmured. Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline when Rebekah nodded. She thought she could see something akin to envy in Rebekah's eyes. "That's not possible," she breathed, "vampires can't procreate."

Elena and Lexa leaned forwards, gave Caroline a pointed look, and motioned to their baby bumps.

"That's different," Caroline hissed, "you two are human; we're both vampires."

"Well…" Lexa nibbled her lip, "… you're a vampire…"

"Klaus is a hybrid," Elena finished. "Could hybrids have…" She glared when Caroline slapped a hand over her mouth.

"They can't hear us Caroline," Lexa's breath fanned over Caroline's cheek. "I put a spell up when Rebekah pressed her ear to your stomach."

"You did?" Caroline's hair brushed Lexa's nose when she turned her head.

"Yes," Lexa crinkled her nose to hold in a sneeze, "We've probably got at least two Originals with their ears pressed to the door."

"Do you think they're using glasses like in an old spy movie?" Elena giggled. She strained her ears to pick up the sound of Klaus who was telling his brothers it was impolite to eavesdrop. She knew that the others could hear as well. Elena turned her head. "Could a hybrid have a baby?" Even knowing their soulmates could not hear them she chose to whisper.

"Vampires can't have kids," Rebekah's eyes flashed, "but werewolves can. It seems nature found a loophole."

"And if Klaus can have kids then so can you Care," Elena smiled gently. Her smile turned to a smirk when she imagined Klaus changing dirty diapers. "How do you think he'll react?"

"I don't know," Caroline hissed, "and we're not finding out until we know for sure that it is happening." She threw her head back against the headboard. "Lexa, do you know a way to find out?"

Lexa bit her lip and nodded. "I do, but you should know that using it will let Klaus know too. The spell I have identifies the parents of a child. If you are pregnant the spell will write mother on your arm and father on his. We already know you are though, Rebekah and you both heard the heartbeat."

"I don't want him finding out like that," Caroline worried her bottom lip. She sighed before flashing to the door and wrenching it open. She stifled a giggle when Kol stumbled on the other side. When her laughter was under control she grabbed Klaus' arm and pulled him inside before slamming the door.

"What's going on love?" Klaus glanced at the three women on the bed. "Were you missing me terribly?" He winked.

Caroline rolled her eyes and placed her hand on her abdomen. "Listen."

Klaus' eyes widened marginally when he caught the soft fluttering. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he sputtered: "How?"

"Maybe Nik's the one who needs the 'what goes where conversation'," Elena snickered.

Lexa crossed her legs on the bed and pointed to Klaus. "Hybrid."

* * *

Later that night after Lexa had used a spell to confirm the pregnancy, Caroline was chewing her bottom lip. Klaus was wearing a hole in the hardwood floor of Rebekah's bedroom. To say he was confused would have been an understatement. He knew he and Caroline had managed to conceive but he didn't know when or how.

"You're going to fall into the study," Lexa glanced up from where she had been working over Caroline with a grimoire. "I don't have a spell to find out how far along you are, but if we're just hearing the heartbeat now I would say about 6 weeks."

"That would have been the full moon," Caroline propped herself up on her elbows. They had certainly gone a little crazy that night.

Rebekah froze and felt her stomach flutter. There were a lot of factors at play that night. "That full moon was the one with the failed cure. Is it possible this," she pointed to Caroline's stomach, "is a result of that, and not because Nik's a hybrid?"

Lexa tugged on a tight curl and pressed her lips together. The odds that she and Kol had accidentally created a vampire fertility spell were about a million to one. Deep down Lexa knew that Rebekah was aware of that. She hated being the one to crush the hope in Rebekah's eyes.

"It's unlikely," Lexa shook her head. "None of the herbs were conducive to fertility." She found herself wishing for a way to reverse Rebekah's vampirism. She wondered what had happened to the Original spell; maybe she could reverse it if she could see it. Rebekah would still retain her immortality because of Stefan, but they would gain the ability to have kids.

"It must have been the full moon then," Rebekah deflated.

Lexa made a vow then and there to ask Kol what he knew of the spell that had turned them.

* * *

Kol grinned and twirled his new wife into his arms. Taking a firm hold on her hip he dipped her back and placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

Lexa's eyes blinked in puzzlement at the thoroughly amused curve of his mouth. "What's so funny, mi amor?"

He glanced at the elegant sweep of her blond hair. Elena had somehow managed to smooth out the normally insane curls. "Did you lose height  _little_  witch?"

"My hair has a lot of volume," Lexa's eyes narrowed, "so when Elena straightened it I shrunk three inches."

"I knew it," he smirked and spun her across the dancefloor that had been set up in the compound. "My wife  _is_ a foot shorter than me."

"Eleven inches is not a foot," Lexa glared. The white skirt of her dress spun revealing a pair of silver shoes. "I'm also in heels so it's still only eight."

"Without additives it's a foot," he teased and flattened his palm over the small of her back.

"Eleven inches," Lexa tilted her head.

"A foot, Elskling," he kissed her cheek. "I'm rounding up."

She smiled sweetly and let her hand slide around to the nape of his neck. "How would you like to spend your wedding night in a guest room?"

"You wouldn't," he gasped dramatically.

"Wouldn't I?" Lexa smirked. It was a lie and they both knew it.

"My beautiful wife is only eleven inches shorter than me," he sighed when she raised her brows expectantly, "eight in heels. She's also a very powerful witch who could likely turn me into a toad if I annoy her too much." He cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at her tinkling laugh. "Have I earned my way back into the bedroom yet?"

"Hmm," Lexa tilted her head and pursed her lips, "I suppose so."

"Good," he bent so his mouth hovered over her ear, "because I've got plans for you and that dress. I love it very much… and I find myself wondering what it would look like bunched around your waist."

"Kol," she shivered when he blew on her ear, "we are in a room full of vampires…"

"I'm hardly inviting them to watch," he kissed her cheek. "Although a thousand years ago there would have been an audience."

"So glad Viking traditions didn't endure," she rolled her eyes.

"As am I. I have no intention of anyone else ever seeing you naked again."

Lexa shook her head and laughed. She was about to pull his head down for a kiss when her attention was diverted. She suppressed a smile at Kol's pout and turned to the thirty-something brunette.

"Lexa," she wrapped her up in a tight hug, "I'm so sorry I'm late there was a family emergency."

"It's okay," Lexa grinned, "I remember how those go. I was starting to think you wouldn't make it, though."

"I would never miss your wedding," she took a step back and looked her up and down. "You haven't changed a bit in nearly fifteen years. What is your secret?" Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

"If I told you I'd have to kill you," Lexa laughed, "I'm sure I've changed somewhat."

"You're right," the woman nodded, "I'm pretty sure you're shorter… and that baby bump is definitely new."

"I would tread carefully," Kol interjected with a smirk, "my bride is very sensitive about her height today."

"When is she not? Are you going to introduce me Lexa?"

Lexa grumbled something about not being sensitive that made Kol stifle a laugh and place a comforting hand on her back. "Kol this is my friend Phoebe. Phoebe this is my husband Kol Mikaelson."

He felt a thrill travel the length of his spine. He loved it when she called him that; almost as much as he loved referring to her as his wife which was something he planned to do often. Kol extended his palm and lifted the witch's hand to his lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you Phoebe."

"I haven't been greeted like that in years," Phoebe shook with a silent laugh. "So when did you two meet?" She cast Lexa a sly look. "I know the how but she was always rather allusive to the when."

"She knows?" Kol caught Lexa's green eyes when she nodded.

"It took four years and a mortal wound that healed on its own for her to tell us the truth," Phoebe frowned at the memory.

"Us?" Kol's brows rose to his hairline.

"My sister's and I," Phoebe nodded. "Personally I think it too so long because she thought we'd try to burn her at the stake. Which was, frankly, a ridiculous idea."

"I've been burnt by supposed friends before," Lexa shuddered. The village surrounding the tavern had tried to burn her for witchcraft in 1726.

Kol wrapped his arms around her from behind to ward off the memories and tried to shift the topic back. "So you told them what happened to you. Why wouldn't you tell them when?"

Lexa tilted her head back and shot him a coy smile. "That would have revealed my age, and a lady never reveals her age."

"Sorry Phoebe. I have vowed to stay in my wife's good graces tonight lest she kick me out of the bedroom, so I'm afraid I can't tell you."

"Darn," she swung her arm. "I was hoping next time I saw her to say something like: 'hey girl, you're looking good for 98'."

"Oh, she's much older than that."

"Kol!"

* * *

Elena smoothed down the lavender material of her dress and watched Caroline stride across the courtyard. Her fingers traced the dark purple silk of her sash that separated her breasts from her stomach. She had to admit that Lexa had an eye for fashion. The dress accentuated her bump without drowning her in material.

She sighed and tried to drown out the cacophony of sounds. New Orleans was bustling tonight, as it had been for the past week. Her neck snapped to the right when a shadow settled over her chair.

"Elena," Elijah took a seat beside her and passed her a flute of sparkling liquid.

"Elijah," a slow smile bloomed over her lips. This was their way of greeting each other; nothing else needed to be said. Klaus and Caroline chose well timed quips, but they could convey every emotion in the utterance of each other's names.

"Is something bothering you, elskede?" Elijah intertwined their fingers.

"No," she sipped the sparkling cider, "not really."

"Elena," he squeezed her hand.

"It just… very loud," she shrugged. "I forgot how noisy it can get in the city. I guess I got used to the quiet."

Elijah lifted their hands and pressed a kiss to each of her knuckles. "Would you like to go back to the mansion? It is still there. We can set up the nursery out there."

"Seems kind of far away," Elena put down her glass on a low table. "I like the compound. I just need to get used to the noise again." She laughed. "Then again, it is poised to get very crowded in next year."

"That it is," Elijah nodded. "There is always another option, Elena."

"And what would that be?" She caught sight of Kol and Lexa talking to a well-wisher in the center of the dancefloor. The wedding itself had been family and close friends, but the reception was open to the supernatural community of New Orleans as they welcomed a new member into the Mikaelson family. Elena wondered idly if her own wedding reception would be this crowded; of course Elijah would have to ask her first.

"We could settle down somewhere else," Elijah ran his thumb over the back of her hand. "I have another property in the city. It's uptown so it's not overly loud, and still fairly close to the compound. We could go take a look tomorrow."

"Alright," she smiled, "as long as I don't have to go anywhere tonight."

"Might I be able to persuade you to join me on the dance floor?"

Elena laughed at his boyish grin. "I might be persuaded," she stood up with his help, "for a foot rub later. I have a feeling I'm going to need it."

"You have a deal, lovely Elena."

* * *

"Klaus," Caroline's heels clicked on the stone floor. She strode the remaining distance and placed one hand on her hip.

"Caroline," his eyes narrowed when he saw the flute in her hand. "What do you think you're doing?" He snatched the slim glass before she could raise it to her lips.

"I was coming over here to ask why you hadn't said anything about this," she pointed to her stomach, "but it is nice to know you care. Now give me back my glass," Caroline glared at him.

"You can't drink," Klaus whispered and held the glass behind his back, "it's bad for our baby."

Caroline jabbed a finger into his chest and set her jaw. "Look around Klaus," she hissed, "the bride and the maid of honor are pregnant, do you really think that's alcohol?"

Klaus blinked quickly and stepped back. He raised the glass to his nose and sniffed. "Oh," he smiled sheepishly and passed back the apple cider, "sorry sweetheart. I saw the glass and panicked."

"Like I said it's nice to know you care," she took a sip of the amber liquid.

"What would make you think I didn't care, Caroline?" He stepped forward and took a hold of her waist.

"You haven't said a word to me since last night; since Lexa confirmed the pregnancy."

"I was processing, love. I had no reason to believe that this was possible."

"Neither did I," Caroline sighed. "Are you through with the processing stage?" Her fingers drummed nervously against the crystal flute of cider.

He nodded slowly and tilted his head to the left. "I've moved on to panic," he frowned, "and paranoia…" Klaus looked pointedly to her glass. "Should you be on your feet?"

"I'm fine, Klaus," Caroline dropped her glass on a passing tray. She took his hands and started backing up onto the dancefloor. She had to admit she was relieved that his paranoia seemed to be for her health and that of their child rather than over the prospect of being a father, but then again there was still a lot of time before the baby came. "I'm a vampire; I can be on my feet… I can even dance."

"Are you sure, love?" He smirked and took her hand for the dance. "You don't feel tired or ill?"

"Nope," she shook her head as they moved over the dancefloor, "just hungry." Before she'd made a trip to the kitchen she had been marginally worried for the safety of the few human beings in the compound.

* * *

Klaus found Caroline in the kitchen during the early hours of the morning.

"Caroline?" He carefully took in the scene. She was standing at the counter with three blood bags laid out in front of her. "What are you doing?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I can't decide between A+, B-, or AB+?" She ran her tongue over her teeth and felt her fangs descend.

"Why not try mixing A+ and B-?" Klaus nuzzled into her neck and placed a kiss to her throat.

"Sounds delicious," she grinned and mixed the types before popping the mug in the microwave. It was difficult since Klaus didn't seem to want to let go of her waist.

Her eyes landed on a thin envelope stuck to the fridge when she turned to scold him. "What's that?" She pointed.

"I see nothing out of the ordinary," he murmured against her hair. His fingers dipped under the hem of her camisole to tease her stomach.

"Klaus," her head dipped forward when he nipped at her neck, "I'm serious." She reached out and pulled the white paper from its magnet. Caroline giggled when he blew on her ear after his tongue had traced the shell. She forced herself to focus and saw that the envelope was addressed to each of the Mikaelsons with the exception of Finn; she could only assume that the spidery writing was his. "It's a letter," she stilled his hands and passed him the envelope. She slid out of his arms, to fetch her blood, and snickered when he protested.

"It's from Finn," Klaus sighed. His eyes narrowed into slits as he read the letter; Finn had a lot to say. His opinions were infuriating but the only part that really mattered was the final paragraph which he turned and showed to Caroline.

_I cannot stand by and watch the further perversion of nature, so I have decided to take my leave of you. I am curious to see how the world had changed. Do not look for me._

_Finn._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry I'm not done with Finn yet.  
> Drop a review and let me know what you thought of this latest chapter. Time jumps are coming up; it won't be too long before Elena has the babies.  
> Has anyone caught the charmed references I've been dropping in the story?


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The usual disclaimers: I own nothing. I wish I did because if I was in charge ELEJAH and KLAROLINE would both be canon.

Elena crossed her arms over her stomach and stared into the nursery. The room was spacious with high ceilings, like every other room in the restored Victorian. Large windows let in lots of natural light, right now it was moonlight. She had assumed, when Elijah mentioned another property that it would be large, but the mansion had still managed to take her breath away.

It was a beautiful house with mahogany staircases, elaborate crown moldings, and stunning chandeliers. A marble patio led to a large manicured lawn where she could see their daughters playing with their cousins, maybe even with a younger brother or sister.

She absolutely loved the marble bathroom.

She found the way the afternoon sun filtered through the stained glass window in the entrance hall enchanting.

She loved the house, and the fact that it was only a ten minute drive from the compound helped. Until twenty minutes ago the entire house had seemed perfect. She had woken up with the nagging sense that something needed to be done in the nursery. It was a ridiculous thought, and she knew it; Elijah had made sure the room was complete so she could relax during the last few weeks of her pregnancy.

It was for that reason that she didn't wake Elijah when the voice began whispering in the recesses of her mind. She had slipped out from under his arm, with more grace then she'd had in months, and tiptoed across the wide hall.

Elena lowered her left hand to the small of her back and applied a light pressure to the ache that had been at the base of her spine all day. Releasing a small breath she moved into the center of the room and spun in a slow circle.

Everything seemed perfectly fine.

The mahogany cribs were side by side along the right wall with a small dark table between them. All of the furniture was perfectly positioned to leave a vast space on the floor where the twins would be able to play.

Elena shook her head and lifted a soft purple and green blanket from one of the cribs. She busied herself with folding blankets and baby clothes for a while; she found the act of tidying soothing. If it wasn't for the ache in her back she might have fallen asleep.

A gentle breeze brought the sweet smell of flowers through the open window. Not an altogether common occurrence in the heat of July. Elena brushed past the fluttering curtains and gripped the edge of the window; it came down easily enough, but caught on a flower that had reached from the vines climbing the walls into the nursery. The downward motion of the window severed the stem and sent the dark flower tumbling to the floor.

Elena caught it between her fingers and lifted it to her nose. As she suspected the heavy black flower was indeed the source of the sickeningly sweet smell. Turning around, with the intention of disposing of the flower, she let out a startled shriek.

She shrunk back towards the window and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Elena had barely caught a glimpse of the woman when her view was obstructed. Watching the muscles in his back ripple she felt her abdomen clench tightly, almost painfully.

"Who are you?" Elijah's low growl accentuated the second cramp that raced through her.

A beam of moonlight reached in to caress the petals that Elena now realized were blood red. Perhaps it was a strange thing to focus on, what with the home invasion currently underway, but Elena thought she recognized it; the name of the flower was on the tip of her tongue.

"If you were the oldest brother I might be offended," the woman smiled genially up at him, "however, since you were still in your mother's womb at the time I shall forgive your ignorance."

Elena shivered. The woman's voice was light and full of amusement, but power dripped from every syllable. Dread crept up Elena's spine; she remembered the name.

"Still," the woman continued, "I would have thought my sister would have mentioned me at some point in time."

"Dahlia," Elijah's hand reached back for Elena.

"You have heard of me then," Dahlia tilted her head and smiled. Her hard eyes met Elena's. "I've come for the children; though it seems I am a tad early."

"Children?" Elena paled; she wanted both of her daughters.

"Yes," Dahlia tilted her head. "Identical twins share the moment of conception. Magically speaking it does not matter which is born first as they are both first borns."

"You don't have to do this," Elena's free hand settled protectively over her stomach.

"Now, my dear," Dahlia smirked, "that is where you are wrong. This is the result of a deal made many moons ago by Esther; you've just had the misfortune of being caught up in it."

"You talk like you don't have a choice," Elena exhaled. She glared at the slim woman.

"I am a woman of my word. When I make a promise I keep it," Dahlia held up her hands as if to say it were obvious.

Elena couldn't help but think she sounded a lot like Elijah in that moment. Both aunt and nephew had their own sense of integrity; of course, hers involved stealing children away from their loving parents.

"You should know," Elijah shifted, "that when I make a promise I keep it. I don't know how you survived this long, but I promise you will not live long enough to lay eyes, let alone hands, on our children."

Elena backed away from the flurry of movement and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. A loud snap echoed through the room. The break was followed by a hollow thump as the body crashed to the floor. Daring to hope Elena opened her eyes a crack. What she saw made her knees tremble; she should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

"Tsk," Dahlia clucked her tongue. She shook her head at the prone body of her nephew before setting her sights on Elena. "I would have preferred we do this in a civilized manner, but…"

"You're not taking my babies," Elena exclaimed. The need to protect rose in her chest and sent warmth racing to her palms. She extended her wrist only to have a cold metal close over her skin.

"None of that, now," Dahlia shook her head. "That cuff keeps you from using magic. I had to make them for the other one."

Elena's mouth popped open in shock. She tried to send the flames down her arm again, but found she couldn't. The heat stopped in her chest, but she suspected that had more to do with her rising anger than magic. Her stomach trembled when she realized that once again she was defenceless in the face of a powerful witch.

"You made this for Lexa?" Elena tried to tear her arm from Dahlia's grip. She stumbled slightly when they reached the stairs. She was extremely grateful when Dahlia slowed down.

"I made two of them," Dahlia explained. "You never know when you'll need a spare."

Elena tried again to free her arm at the front door. She was momentarily reminded of the time she had managed to tear her arm from Damon's grip. Shouldn't a witch be weaker?

"Tug all you like," Dahlia's fingers tightened around Elena's elbow. "That bracelet dampens the bond you share with my nephew. You only have your own strength to draw on and no magic… although I was surprised to find you capable of using magic."

Elena shivered when the dew dampened grass hit the bottom of her bare feet. She tried to wrench her arm again because she would be damned if she went down without a fight. Maybe if she put up enough of one she could stall Dahlia long enough for Elijah to regain consciousness. That thought quickly went out the window when her eyes landed on the tan sedan and the innate blonde in the backseat.

"Where are you taking me?" Elena grunted half from the exertion of pulling her arm and half from the ripple of pain that coursed through her abdomen.

Dahlia pulled open the car door and carefully but forcefully maneuvered Elena down. She braced one hand on the car and the other on the door before her eyes met Elena's.

"I am taking you and her far away," she explained gently, "until you've had the babies. Once the children are in my care you can leave." She lifted her right hand, palm out, when Elena moved to protest. "If you're going to be like that I shall have to put you to sleep like I did with your friend."

Elena felt her limbs grow heavy when Dahlia waved her hand. She fought her drooping eyelids and tried to move. Unfortunately the combined sleeping spell and her shifted center of gravity made any kind of quick movement impossible. She settled for a harsh glare.  _Come on Elijah! Heal already!_

Elena gasped when Dahlia's head spun at an unnatural angle. The sound of the snap came from underwater. She relaxed marginally and started slipping under the sleeping spell. Her relaxation was short lived though.

The man reached out. At first Elena thought it was Elijah moving to lift her into his arms, but why would Elijah guide her backwards? Why was he buckling her seatbelt? Elena struggled to keep her eyes open; she struggled to get a good look at him. Her vision was fading around the edges, but she could make out the combination of dark blond hair and blue eyes.

"Who…" Darkness took over as she fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Kol bolted up and gasped for breath. His eyes darted frantically from side to side. Within seconds he had covered the entirety of the house. There was no sign of anyone inside or out. He had no way of knowing how long he had been unconscious, but he assumed it had been less than an hour.

He didn't bother with a locator spell. Kol knew exactly where Dahlia would head next; he could only hope he would get there in time to help, to warn them.

The streets of New Orleans flashed through his field of vision in a blur. Passed the compound and the drunks milling outside of Rousseau's he ran. He darted around the few cars still on the streets.

Kol ran until he reached Elijah's house.

He was going to race inside when his eyes caught the disturbed path through the grass. Kol's dark eyes narrowed as he followed the struggling footprints left on the ground to see Elijah crouched over the prone body of a woman.

Kol took his brother's shoulder and knelt beside him in the grass. His eyes raked over the awkward angle of Dahlia's neck. "Alright," he sighed, "I get why you killed her… I would have liked to play a part in it, but I get why. Is Lexa inside with Elena?"

"Elijah?" Kol forced him to turn his head. "Where is my wife?"

"I-I," Elijah ran a hand through his short hair and tugged.

Kol's jaw clenched. "Elijah," he could feel his anger rising.

"I don't know," he shook his head. "I came to in the nursery. Elena was gone, and then I found Dahlia like this."

"You didn't do it?" Kol pointed to Dahlia.

"No," Elijah shook his head. "I tried to attack her inside and she broke my neck."

"Same thing happened to me," Kol grumbled. He jumped to his feet and started looking frantically up and down the street. Closing his eyes he inhaled deeply but found the trail died beside Dahlia's body. "She took Lexa," his hands clenched until his knuckles turned white.

"I know," Elijah murmured. His eyes landed on something black tucked into Dahlia's hand. He plucked the card from her extended palm and inhaled sharply when he recognized the symbol.

"What is that?" Kol bent over. "Am I supposed to know what that owl stands for?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop a review and let me know what you think.  
> The chapters from here on out might be a little shorter, but it has the added benefit of coming out faster.


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing. Ya'll know that. :)  
> I've officially finished the notebook I was using, so now the story is being typed from the get go. Chapters are definitely going to be shorter from here on out. They won't be any shorter than 1800 words, but they probably won't be any longer than 3000. This means that chapters will be coming out faster though so yay...  
> I won't tell you what's actually happening in an authors note, but I will say that I've had to rework some stuff (minor) based on a few of the comments that have added inspiration.

In retrospect he should have known better. He had allowed himself to be lulled into a false sense of security. Things had been calm and quiet; Elijah had thought they were safe. He had thought nobody would dare harm his beloved, and especially not in their own house.

He should have known better.

He should have taken more precautions.

He should have known his enemies would come after his family. After all, whenever he was granted something wonderful it was stolen away.

That's the thing about hindsight though; it's twenty-twenty.

Elijah dipped the card into a glass of blood and laid it on the counter. He flashed upstairs and returned several seconds later fully dressed in the first things he could grab from the closet: dark jeans and a deep green Henley.

Kol's fingers tapped an impatient rhythm on the countertop. His sharp eyes traced the disintegration of the business card. Letters were starting to take shape along the bottom. He snatched up the cardstock and read out the address; it was the Davilla Estate.

"You still haven't told me what this is," Kol snapped and waved the card in his brothers face.

"It's the symbol of the Strix," Elijah read the address upside down.

Kol tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "That elite little 'club' of yours?" He felt his heart beat erratically in his chest. Had those ego-maniacal sociopaths abducted his mate?

"Yes," Elijah pressed his lips into a thin line. "That address is where we should find them. Will you do a locator spell first to make sure we're not being sent on a wild goose chase?"

"Get me a map," Kol gave a short nod. He flashed upstairs to his brother's bedroom and returned with a necklace Elena had left on the bedside table. Concentrating on the map he started chanting: "faire a voir la re…" He bit down on his cheek when there was no result.

Kol closed his eyes and tried again; focusing all of his energy on the spell. He swallowed nervously when he could only feel the faintest fluttering of magic in his body. He had been too preoccupied to notice earlier, but his connection with nature seemed to have been cut off at the source. He shuddered to think of what that meant.

"Should something have happened?" Elijah stabbed the map with his finger. His eyes flashed when Kol nodded.

Kol's hand closed into a fist over the silver locket. The metal fractured and molded in his palm. Dahlia had done something to Lexa; with his wife's magic impaired so was his.

"It would appear I am powerless," Kol growled. "We're going to have to assume they're not lying."

* * *

Elijah stared up at the building. He could sense the presence of vampires and witches inside; their hearts beat out varying patterns to clash with the music he could only assume came from a full orchestra compelled for the occasion.

"Suddenly I feel underdressed," Kol chuckled darkly. The vast mansion was lit up with a million lights. "Do you think they know the fourth of July was last week?" He listened carefully, but couldn't make out the familiar sound of Lexa's heart. "I don't hear her."

"Nor do I hear Elena," Elijah rolled the long sleeves of his shirt to his elbows. "That does not mean they are not inside. I can make out several witches it is entirely possible they are hiding them."

"Shall we crash a party?" Kol cocked an eyebrow.

"I do have a standing invitation," Elijah smirked. Regardless of the fact that every vampire inside was of his own bloodline, if they had brought harm to Elena he would kill them all. That calling card had signed their death warrants.

Ascending the stairs Kol and Elijah pushed open the door. Perhaps stealth would have been the better option, but neither could stop themselves from forcing the double doors from their moorings. The wood splintered and dented the walls.

The violins came to a screeching halt as several dozen heads snapped around to face them.

"You were right Kol," Elijah took in the multitude of vampires dressed to the nines. Claire sparkled in a dress the exact shade of her eyes. Aya was a vision in a sparkling white dress that contrasted beautifully with her dark skin. "We are definitely underdressed."

"That you are," a male voice called from the back of the assembly. The sea of vampires parted to reveal their leader.

"Tristan," Kol smiled brightly. The flash in his dark eyes made Tristan pause momentarily. "It's been a long time."

"Kol," his eyes took in the rumpled appearance of the younger Original, "I don't recall inviting you to our event this evening," Tristan's blue eyes flickered to his sire, "that's not your usual attire Elijah."

"Shall we dispense with the idle chit chat?" Elijah's brows drew down over his flickering eyes. "Where are Elena and Lexa?"

"Who?" Tristan clasped his hands behind his body and smirked.

"Do not play games with me Tristan," Elijah took a menacing step forward. A second later his hand closed around Tristan's dirty blond hair; he jerked his head back and glared down into his blue eyes.

"What have you done with our mates?" Kol took a step forward and wrenched Tristan's arm. "I suggest you tell us before I rip you limb from limb… although I might do that anyway."

"Kol," Elijah's voice held an admonishment, "if anyone will be tearing Tristan apart it will be me."

"Your mate is not the only one missing," Kol's eyes cut to his brother. "This is something we could do together… a little brotherly bonding."

"Perhaps you two could bond over something else," Tristan grunted when Elijah closed his hand over the base of his neck. "In case you haven't noticed you are outnumbered here." His eyes darted to the vampires watching the exchange.

Elijah glanced up. A few looked as if they were considering intervening. They were the ones he did not recognize, and who clearly did not recognize him. New recruits brought on during the centuries after he had left the organization behind. It would have been nothing more than a minor inconvenience to be rid of them before returning to Tristan, but it seemed he did not have to. They were all being held back by Aya's harsh glare. Tristan might have been in charge, but it was clear all loyalty was owed to Aya and Aya knew better than to antagonize an Original.

"In case you haven't noticed," Elijah remarked casually, "none of them are coming to your aid. I'll ask you one more time," his tone remained conversational as if he were discussing the weather with an old friend, "where are our mates?"

Elijah and Kol released Tristan and watched him straighten his jacket.

"I would suggest you answer the question," a feminine voice sounded from the ruined entrance.

Kol and Elijah glanced over their shoulders. Their eyes widened comically when they saw the witch who owned the soft voice. The witch they had left dead outside of Elijah's house.

"How the bloody 'ell is she still alive?" Kol hissed.

"I am all but immortal nephew," she addressed Kol, "it would take far more than a broken neck to kill me."

"Am I meant to know your name?" Tristan looked the witch over from head to toe.

"Perhaps I can refresh your memory," Dahlia shook her hair over her shoulder. "You broke my neck and then abducted the women I had planned to abduct. The pregnant ones: a blond witch and a doppelganger."

"Oh those girls," Tristan's eyes lit up with recognition. "I had almost forgotten." It was a lie. He clearly remembered disposing of the tan sedan with two bodies.

"It was less than an hour ago," Elijah snapped.

"Alright," Tristan shrugged, "you caught me," he held his hands up in a gesture of peace; "I was playing the fool. I took them…"

Aya started motioning the Strix back. If Tristan had indeed gone after Elijah's mate then he was no his own. Aya might hate Elijah for abandoning her, but she had a sense of self-preservation. She knew if he was provoked enough he would kill them all without a second thought, and the abduction of his mate would definitely provoke him.

Elijah could just make out the legion of vampire's backing out of the room from the corner of his eye.  _So much for loyalty,_ he thought. "Why?"

"You stole a hundred years of my life, so I stole your family," Tristan shrugged as if to say his motivation was obvious.

Elijah blinked. This was because of the century Tristan spent under his compulsion. One hundred years being made to think he was Elijah to lead Mikael away and allow the true Original's to escape.

"You've had your fun," Dahlia crossed her arms, "now give the girls back. Those children belong to me."

"No, they don't," Kol glared at his aunt, "but we'll deal with you in a minute." He turned back to Tristan. "Where are they?"

Tristan adjusted the cuffs on his suit and cleared his throat. "I would just like to state for the record that I had no intention of harming the blond, but she got in the way."

"Tread carefully vampire," Dahlia glared.

Kol's voice drowned hers out. "What did you do to my wife?"

"I killed her," Tristan turned to face Kol. "I only wanted to kill the other one, but she got in the way; she was collateral damage. Now they're both dead."

"That's impossible," Elijah's hand closed around Tristan's throat. "You're lying. They can't be killed."

"They didn't seem to have any problem dying," Tristan rasped around the hand. Elijah's eyes flashed when Tristan's heart remained steady. "I saved her heart if you'd like it."

Kol stepped back. It wasn't true. He did not get Lexa back only to lose her less than a year later. He reached again for the faint flutter of magic and paled when he found it gone. In that moment he wanted to tear Tristan apart.

"No," Dahlia breathed. Her hand came up to cover her mouth. Her other hand twisted effectively breaking Tristan's neck.

"What did you do that for?" Kol roared when Tristan's body hit the floor.

"He took what was mine," Dahlia clenched her hands into fists, "and insured there would never be another."

"They are not dead," Elijah insisted. He refused to believe that she had been ripped away from him. Didn't their bond mean she couldn't die?

"I placed a cuff on both of them," Dahlia muttered. "The cuff's kept them from using magic and dampened the bonds you shared. It was to keep you from se…"

Kol's heart fluttered with hope. He snapped her neck and caught her before she could hit the ground.

"I was getting rather sick of her voice," he grumbled.

* * *

Kol spun the cell phone in his hand and watched the destruction from his perch on the stairs. Maybe he should have joined in, but he was choosing to have hope. Tristan had not provided them with any physical evidence. The severed link he had with nature could easily be from the cuff Dahlia had placed on her wrist… right?

He had to believe that Elijah was holding on to hope as well. There seemed to be a method to his destruction. He was not simply tearing the mansion apart; he was hunting for his mate. And if he happened to take out a few vampires along the way then so be it.

Kol had already made the round of the mansion and come to the conclusion that if Tristan had lied the girls were not being held here. He glanced up when footsteps echoed in the entrance hall.

"Do I want to know?" Nik's eyes raked over the mass of bodies piled in various corners of the room.

"I'll explain back at the compound," Kol promised. He pointed to Tristan. "Can you take him back there and tie him up."

"Is that all you called me for?"

"Yes, unless you want to deal with Elijah, or clean up this mess?"

"Elijah is perfectly fine," he came to a stop between his brothers and hoisted Dahlia over his shoulder. "They're not here."

"Who is not here?" Nik took in the mess. Blood stained the dark green material clinging to Elijah's chest and arms, Nik could tell by the smell that some of it was human and some vampire. Bodies littered the room along with hearts that had been torn from chests. "I thought Kol and I were the ones who left massacres for  _you_  to clean up."

"Elena and Lexa are missing," Kol tossed the phone over his shoulder.

* * *

"He seems to be sticking to his story. Although, I don't believe him for a minute," Nik remarked from the foot of the stairs. "Perhaps we should switch to a different tactic."

"I was so enjoying the torture," Elijah dropped the blade on a low table and wiped his hands on a towel. "What did you have in mind?"

"Kol seems to think if a witch can lower the charms on the cuffs Dahlia made then we can locate them," Nik tilted his head when Kol responded.

"You can't locate someone who's dead?" Tristan gasped.

"Shut up," Elijah pointed to Tristan while walking upstairs. "Where do you propose we get a witch we can trust, Niklaus?"

"You're being a delusional fool," Tristan spat some blood out of his mouth.

Klaus ignored him and opened the door at the top of the stairs. "Would you believe that there is one on the way here? She should be arriving any minute."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a review and let me know what you think. Can anyone guess what witch is coming and why? I guarantee her arrival at this point in time is a complete coincidence.


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.

Fingers tapped out a quick beat on the steering wheel of the red rental car. Dark eyes peered through the windshield at the smooth walls of the historic building; it was one of the few that had survived the burning of the city nearly a century before.

The walls were built of the usual materials, but they seemed impenetrable. Nobody was brave enough to attempt entry without an invitation. The few that dared pass through the gate were exercising stupidity as they took their lives into their own hands.

This was the supernatural equivalent of the White House and Buckingham Palace. Unwelcome guests were at best turned away with no memory of the experience, and at worst divested of a few vital pieces of their anatomy.

Luckily, she had a standing invitation.

Unluckily, the one she sought was not inside.

She paused outside the door and reached out with her mind. Worry gnawed at her heart when she realized her gut instinct was right.

Knuckles rapped lightly on the door. She had no time to second guess her decision.

Wild blond hair and bright green eyes was the last thing she saw before strong arms closed around her and she was drawn into the wolf's den.

* * *

"And there she is now," Klaus gestured to the middle of the courtyard where Caroline had a tight hold on a short woman.

"Miss Bennett," Elijah froze and stared, "did Elena tell me you were visiting?" He wracked his mind but could not remember having the conversation. It wasn't something Elena would have kept to herself either.

"I doubt it," Bonnie shrugged and stepped back from the affectionate blonde. "She didn't know I was coming down here. Caroline didn't even know until my plane landed." Bonnie looked around as if expecting the pregnant brunette to round the corner and tug her into a rather physically awkward hug. "Where is Elena? Is she still asleep?" Bonnie glanced down at her watch; it was early, but Elena had always been a fairly early riser.

"Elena is… missing," Klaus directed Bonnie into the library, "as is Lexa."

"Did they decide to take a spontaneous vacation?" Bonnie chuckled nervously. The look in Elijah's eyes stopped her jokes.

Bonnie took a moment to finally take in the family surrounding her.

Klaus' eyes were restless, and he kept cocking his head to one side as if listening for something. His blue eyes darted from Caroline to another room across the courtyard.

Elijah's shirtsleeves had been rolled to his elbows; on a second look at the garment she shuddered upon realization that it was not actually a dark red. His dark eyes flickered with hope, fire, and fear.

Bonnie took a closer look at Caroline and discovered that her friend's green eyes were bright with unshed tears. She must have been extremely preoccupied not to notice her friend's distress immediately. Bonnie's eyes drifted shut when she reminded herself that she had a very good reason to be distracted right now.

With her eyes shut she reached out with her mind and sensed Kol across the way.

"What happened?" Bonnie ran her hands through her short dark hair.

Caroline sat down beside her and took Bonnie's hand.

There was a soft puff of wind and suddenly Kol and Klaus had switched places.

"There is a long version, and a short version," Kol explained. "However, since our mates are missing we'll give you the short one."

Elijah waited for Bonnie to nod once. "As it happens we have an aunt who believes herself… entitled to our firstborn children."

"She stole into my house last night," Kol's hands clenched into fists, "and broke my neck. I woke up maybe an hour later to find my wife had been abducted."

"While Kol was unconscious she came into the nursery." Elijah's head turned sharply towards the courtyard. "No, Niklaus. I'd like a word with her."

"I'm assuming the following events were similar to what happened at Kol's," Bonnie glanced over her shoulder when she heard footsteps.

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I was wondering if you would be so kind as to locate them."

"Why didn't Kol do that?" Bonnie turned back to the bristling brothers in time to see Kol's shoulders drop.

"I can't," he shook his head. "Auntie dearest created a cuff that dampens the bonds we share and keeps Lexa from practicing magic."

"They also acted as a cloaking spell," a feminine voice sounded behind Bonnie's head.

Elijah made the quick introduction.

"Wait a minute," Bonnie held up her hands, "I thought you said Dahlia took them." She folded her arms over her stomach and regarded Dahlia wearily.

"I did," Dahlia removed her arm from Klaus' grip and stepped towards the couch. There was something off about the young woman; her light brown skin seemed to glow in the early morning light. "But then they were taken from me by a vampire who claims to have killed them both."

Bonnie blinked back the sudden onslaught of tears that threatened to overtake her. She rubbed the sleeves of her cardigan and glared at Dahlia. "If they're dead then why are you still here?" Her dark green eyes glanced at Caroline.

"I've no interest in her child," Dahlia sighed. She had followed the newcomer's gaze. "There's not even a drop of human blood in the mix. No magic to speak of."

Caroline exhaled. She was unsure whether to be relieved or offended… no… scratch that. She was definitely relieved. She wouldn't have to fight to keep her baby in her arms.

"The only reason I am still here is because my nephews brought me back here," Dahlia glared at them. "I would have been gone by now."

Kol's eyes narrowed. "So you could remove the enchantments yourself?"

"Yes," Dahlia nodded, "however, as I sense I'll not get far from here without at least one of you following," she reached into an inner pocket of her coat and pulled out a folded slip of paper, "these are the spells placed on the cuffs." She handed the notes over to Bonnie. "I would like to know if I should abandon this crusade all together and start praying for Finn's soulmate to be human."

Bonnie bit down on her cheek and studied the spell for a minute. She fingered the topaz stone around her neck, and mentally congratulated herself when she could feel that the concealment spells were still in place. "I'll need a few things," she murmured, "but I can have it done in an hour maybe two."

"Great," Kol's grin didn't quite reach his eyes, "make up a list, darling. Elijah and Nik will see that you get whatever you need."

"Where are you going?" Caroline's eyes narrowed.

"To take a turn with Tristan," Kol quirked an eyebrow, "Elijah had a chance to make him talk; now it's my turn. We'll see who gets an answer first."

Bonnie assumed Tristan was the vampire who claimed to have killed Elena and Lexa. She didn't have to ask what his fate would be if it was revealed he was telling the truth. Bonnie had seen the way Kol and Elijah jumped to the defence for their mates, she shuddered to think how they would react if their mates had been murdered.

* * *

Bonnie had worked as fast as she could. All the while she could feel the beady glare of the older witch on her back. She was staring at Bonnie as if trying to discern some great secret. Bonnie did her best to ignore her, but it wasn't easy. Every time Dahlia turned her dark gaze to Bonnie it was as if the light was being drawn from the room and all that remained were the two witches.

It was a little hard to concentrate with Elijah and Kol pacing the length of the study. She could feel all of their hope resting on her shoulders as she chanted; it was rather disconcerting.

Bonnie grimaced when the effort of the spell made her nose bleed. The explosive copper dripped into her mouth and she could feel her stomach heave. Swallowing down the rising bile she powered through and felt when the cloaking spells on the Elena and Lexa's new charm bracelets lifted.

She picked up the necklace Elijah had brought her. Bonnie drew in a deep breath and wiped the blood her face before squeezing her eyes shut and chanting. "Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Sequitas Sanguinem…" She repeated the incantation when she felt resistance. It took her a few tries before the vision came to her.

It was less a vision and more a feeling. Everything was dark. Bonnie couldn't remember ever being in such an all-consuming darkness; she imagined this was what the bottom of the ocean looked like: vast, unending darkness. The second thing Bonnie felt was pain. Blinding pain ripped through her body. A terrible ripping sensation as if she were being torn apart. Finally something began to take shape in the dark. The sight of the raven turned her blood to ice water.

She broke the surface of the ocean and gasped for breath. Opening her eyes Bonnie was surprised when she found herself completely dry. She could still taste the salt on her tongue. Belatedly she realized it was her own tears that had fallen into her open mouth.

Something had cut off the connection. Something had ended her vision. The door had been slammed in her face, and she knew it had been the raven that did it. Raising her eyes to Elijah she bit her lip and shook her head.

Rocking forward she placed her head in her hands and tried desperately not to cry. She still had another vision to summon.

Bonnie took a deep breath and held out her hand. From the corner of her eye she saw Klaus wrap his arms around the sobbing Caroline and Rebekah reach out for Elijah.

Her fingers closed around the bracelet with the jade stone. She closed her eyes and repeated the Latin phrase. Bonnie frowned when she was greeted by the same door, well worn, and immovable. She had been expecting another vision, so the door was a shock. Perhaps she had seen Elena's death as it happened alongside Lexa's and that was why she couldn't see the blonde. But if that was the case Elena had died during Bonnie's vision and not hours earlier as Tristan claimed.

Regardless of how it had happened both women were gone beyond her reach. Bonnie lifted her head and exhaled.

Kol didn't need to hear her say it. He didn't need her to shake her head. He could see the answer in her eyes.

Bonnie shrieked when Kol flashed across the room and pinned Dahlia to the wall. He fell to his knees and clutched his head a second later.

"This is not my doing," Dahlia looked down her nose, "I wanted them both alive and healthy. If this is anyone's fault it is yours," her eyes darted to Elijah. She waved her hand and he fell to the floor with the force of the aneurysm. "If you hadn't made so many enemies your mates might still be alive. You would have had them back the moment they had given birth."

Elijah felt guilt settle in his chest. She was right. He should have known. He had even told Elena he feared her involvement with him would endanger her and the children. It was his fault. He thought of the ring box in the nightstand and clutched the carpet; he felt the fibers tear off between his fingers.

Klaus stepped between Dahlia and Kol. His eyes flashed a brilliant yellow in the early morning light. "I think you should leave," he growled. "There is nothing for you here now."

* * *

An hour after the departure of Dahlia Bonnie sat on the couch beside Caroline. They had wrapped themselves in a blanket of grief.

Caroline curled into the fetal position and covered her face with her hands. Laying her head in Bonnie's lap she sobbed silently for her lost friend. Bonnie stared into empty space.

In the distance she could hear the sound of glass shattering, and the pained screams of a vampire in agony. She heard Klaus' voice, from underwater, trying to calm his brothers down; it was ineffectual. They were lost to their grief like Caroline, but unlike Caroline they expressed their emotions in a far more violent way.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew Tristan would never again see the light of day. Tristan: the man who had killed two pregnant women hours before she saw their deaths.

Bonnie's finger hooked under the chain of her necklace. She was caught somewhere between grief, confusion and fear.

Bonnie closed her eyes and tried to search for Elena and Lexa again. She wasn't sure why she did it. She wasn't sure of anything in that moment.

She lifted her head when Klaus flashed back into the study.

He dragged his hand across his mouth and dropped to his knees in front of Caroline. With more tenderness than Bonnie would have thought him capable of he smoothed back Caroline's hair and drew her into a tight hug.

Bonnie broke the silence after what felt like an eternity. "Why did you all just let her go?"

"What other choice did we have?" Klaus met her eyes over Caroline's shoulder.

"You could have killed her…" Bonnie muttered darkly.

Caroline sat up and turned to stare at Bonnie through teary eyes. She had never known Bonnie to advocate violence against a living being.

"Unfortunately we could not do that," Klaus rubbed his arm down Caroline's back. "Dahlia is covered in protective enchantments and all but immortal."

"There's no way to kill her?" Bonnie winced when she ran her hand through her hair and the jewelry caught. She worked it free and nibbled on her lip when Klaus told her he knew of no way that would work.

Bonnie exhaled slowly before turning to the last remaining mates in the house. "I… umm… I have a confession to make," she crossed her arms over her chest, "I didn't come here to see you and E-Elena."

"Then why did you come?" Caroline wiped a few tears from her cheeks.

Bonnie reached around her neck and unhooked the topaz stone. "I was looking for… for Finn," she dropped the necklace onto the couch, "and now…" she saw their eyes widen, "… now I'm really hoping there is a way to neutralize your aunt."


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Update within 24 hours. :)  
> I do not own TVD or TO.

July 11

Klaus and Caroline were frozen on the couch. If Bonnie didn't know any better she would have thought a witch had calcified them; they were stiller than Michelangelo's statue of David. Their faces were unmoving; their eyes were wide and their mouths open in shock.

Bonnie waved her hands in front of them and nodded when they seemed to snap out of their daze.

Caroline blinked when the necklace was replaced and the high fluttering heartbeat from Bonnie's womb was muted.

"What? How? When?" Klaus sputtered. It had been a very trying day, and while he had not experienced the loss of his mate, he felt the loss of the two women. Elena was his friend and Lexa had grown on him; they were both family and he knew his brothers would not recover from this for a very long time… if they recovered at all.

Bonnie sighed before answering each question in turn. "Baby," she pointed to her flat abdomen, "I think you know how," she motioned to Caroline's small bump, "and it happened about 7 weeks ago."

* * *

_May 22_

_She braced her back against the maple tree and focused on the pages of the book spread open across her raised knees. Her fingers traced the worn lines of faded ink. She was trying to learn a new locator spell that would allow her to receive a vision of the person or thing she was searching for._

_She glanced up when the wind rustled the leaves overhead. The soft scent of fresh flowers reached her nose. She was going to return to her the yellow pages when she caught sight of him._

_He was dressed in somber colours; that wasn't particularly out of place for a graveyard, but she got the sense that he dressed this way normally. The clothes were upscale. He had an air of aristocracy about his features; perhaps it was the stern set of his mouth, or the sharp angles of his handsome face._

_Bonnie bit down on her cheek and considered the merits of approaching the tall man in the cemetery. He was twisting a ring around his finger and looking around with narrow eyes._

_Normally she wouldn't have done it, especially after spotting the lapis lazuli in the center of the ring, but he seemed so lost. She fingered the silky strands of her hair before closing her grimoire and standing up. She could handle one vampire… if he'd been looking for a light snack he would have tried to attack her by now_

_"Excuse me," she approached him slowly, "do you need some help? You look a little lost." She added with a small smile when he tilted his head in confusion._

_"I do find myself… turned around," he admitted. "I was looking for the water fall."_

_"You're quite a ways off," Bonnie adjusted her book under her arm. "It's about two miles that way," she pointed off to the left. "You're not from around her are you?"_

_"I actually grew up here," he chuckled, "but it's been awhile since I've been 'home'. I find the area greatly changed."_

_The man followed when Bonnie started walking in the direction she had pointed. She tilted her head to look up at him; he was taller than she had originally thought. There was nearly a foot between them._

_"Awhile," she hummed, "are we talking decades, or centuries?" She fought down a smirk when his head whipped around to stare at her._

_"What gave me away?" He paused at the opening to a small path._

_Bonnie's eyes dropped to his hand. "The ring," she nodded, "I've made enough of them to recognize one."_

_He shook his head and smiled. Perhaps he should have been more surprised to find a so close to his childhood home, but he wasn't. It seemed as if he were fated to find the supernatural around every corner he turned._

_"Centuries," he straightened his jacket, "a few centuries…" his eyes glanced around the graveyard. "This place was not here then."_

_"Well," Bonnie nodded to the trail, "if you stay on the path you'll reach the falls in about 40-45 minutes…" her eyes raked up and down his body quickly, "… assuming you walk."_

_"I think I'll walk and enjoy the view," he glanced down the path strewn with spring foliage. "Thank you for your help."_

_"Don't mention it," Bonnie smiled. "Really don't… I've kind of got a reputation for hating vampires… I'd hate to have that ruined."_

_"As you wish Miss…" he trailed off and looked at her searchingly._

_"Bennet," she supplied, "Bonnie Bennet." She held out her hand when he offered his._

_"Thank you Miss Bennet," he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles._

_A faint red flush spread across her dark cheeks when his soft lips brushed over her hand. She asked him his name when he straightened up._

_"Finn," he took a step backwards onto the path, "Finn Mikaelson." He saw her eyes widen marginally as he turned around. He could feel her green eyes following him down the trail for several minutes before he heard her turn around. Her footsteps made barely a whisper across the soft grass._

_Bonnie ran her finger over her tingling knuckles when she was sitting behind the wheel of her car._

_May 23_

_She tapped her fork against the table and studied the menu. Some construction workers had knocked out the power on her street so she'd had to relocate for dinner. The fork tapped harder when she thought of the roasted vegetables and marinated chicken that she had been planning on for supper; it would have been so good, but here she was at the Grill because of that stupid construction site. She would have loved to give the worker who cut the power a good piece of her mind. Unfortunately the team had been kept the identity of the blunderer a secret. She could only assume they had been intimidated by the 5'3' pixie bearing down on them with a wooden spoon._

_Bonnie looked up through her eyelashes when she felt a warm breeze at the opening to the booth. She tilted her head when she saw that it was Finn. She was mildly surprised; usually vampires gave off a cold breeze that raised goosebumps on her arms._

_"Hi," she leaned back against the dark material of the booth._

_"Hello," Finn followed the line of her arm to see the white knuckled grip she had on her fork. "Have I made you uncomfortable Miss Bennet?"_

_"No, why do you ask?" She followed his gaze to her hand and dropped the fork. Her knuckles ached as they stretched. "I'm just a little upset about having to change my dinner plans."_

_"You had an evening planned?" His eyes followed the motion of her hand as her fingers tucked her rich dark hair behind her ear._

_Her eyes sparkled. "Yeah," she shook with a small laugh, "I had big plans tonight: a scrumptious dinner for one and Netflix."_

_"Netflix?" Finn tilted his head and met her eyes._

_"Mmmhmmm," Bonnie nodded, "it's a streaming service." She explained quietly and tried not to laugh when he still looked confused. She had a decent idea about why he didn't recognize the reference; it would probably be a bad idea to laugh at a man who'd spent an unknown amount of time in a box._

_Finn nodded as if he understood. He glanced at the empty seat across from her. "May I join you?"_

_Bonnie touched her tongue to the back of her teeth and considered. It would be nice to have a little company. "Sure," she shrugged; only a little confused about his intentions._

_"So, she ventured when he was seated, "what brings you to town?" Bonnie hadn't seen an Original in Mystic Falls in nearly 6 years._

_"I was feeling," he tapped the table as he searched for the right word, "nostalgic."_

_"You didn't have any trouble finding the Falls?" Bonnie leaned against the table._

_"No," he shook his head and smiled. "My brother used to love swimming out there."_

_"Which brother is that?" Bonnie tilted her head._

_"My youngest brother, Miss Bennet…"_

_"Bonnie," she insisted. 'Miss Bennet' made her feel like a spinster._

_"…Bonnie," he smiled and moved closer. "I thought I might stay awhile."_

_"Oh?" Her foot brushed his calve under the table when she crossed her legs. "Sorry," she murmured when she noticed his shoulders stiffen._

_"It's alright," he cleared his throat. "I was actually looking for you this evening."_

_"You were?" Bonnie felt her eyes narrow._

_"Yes," Finn's smile dropped so that his face morphed into a far more serious expression. "I wanted to check with you first before settling into the town."_

_"Why?" Bonnie's eyebrows rose._

_"It's never a bad idea to inform the local witches of your intentions," hazel eyes met green. "I would not want to make an enemy of your coven."_

_"I don't have a coven," Bonnie bit her bottom lip._

_Finn's eyes fell to her mouth before lifting back to her eyes and adding. "I wouldn't want to upset you either. In my limited experience witches have been less than thrilled when vampires move in."_

_Bonnie searched his eyes, but could find no trace of sarcasm. The light in his eyes was earnest. "You're nothing like your siblings are you?"_

_"You know my siblings?" Finn frowned._

_"I do," Bonnie's head bobbed from side to side in a small nod. "I'm more familiar with the Original family than I want to be."_

_"Most witches hate vampires," he grimaced as the term left a bitter taste in his mouth._

_Bonnie got the sense he was of the same frame of mind as 'most witches'. "I thought I knew all of the Mikaelsons, but I'd never heard your name until yesterday."_

_"Yes, well," Finn leaned back against the seat, "I was left in a wooden box for 900 years. Apparently I was too judgemental for my siblings; I did not approve of their actions in this new life."_

_Bonnie blinked slowly as she took in the information. "I figured you'd been daggered," she admitted, "but I didn't realize you were incapacitated for so long." She met his eyes and offered a small frown: "I'm sorry."_

_She had never once considered herself feeling any sort of sympathy for a vampire, but 900 years was a long time to sleep. He had spent more time unconscious then he had living._

_June 2_

_Maybe it was the fact that her best friends had moved out of town. Maybe it was the fact that she craved conversation. Maybe it was the fact that, in spite of being a thousand year old vampire, Finn was good company._

_She had asked him that first day if he was staying at the mansion to which he had replied that he was unaware of what she was saying. She'd shown him where it was and explained that it belonged to his family. She wasn't sure how he'd come up with a key, but he had taken up residence there. She thought maybe he'd broken in and had the locks changed._

_Somehow she managed to bump into him every day. And each day they spent a little more time chatting; they spoke of everything and anything. Bonnie had discovered that he had a vast knowledge of magic; he had even helped her work out her new locator spell. The Latin phrases had been tripping her up; it turned out she was mispronouncing half of the words._

_Finn had been walking her home from a Founder's event in the town square the first time he'd kissed her. He had walked her up to her door step and paused._

_Bonnie turned around to say goodnight and found him at eye-level. She had made no move to stop him when he reached out to cup her cheek. Her eyes had drifted shut when his lips brushed over hers gently… hesitantly. Bonnie's fingers had reached up to stroke the nape of his neck. Her pupils were dilated when he pulled away and murmured goodnight._

_That had been three days ago. It had been three days of soft kisses and gentle touches before Bonnie invited him inside._

_It wasn't until she'd woken up the next morning that she remembered Elena, Lexa and Caroline. The thought briefly crossed her mind when she tilted her head back to gaze at his relaxed features before she shrugged it off; what were the odds?_

_July 1_

_"Bonnie," he murmured against her neck._

_"Hmm," she arched her back and turned her neck to meet his intense eyes. "What is it?" She rolled over and propped herself up on her elbow._

_"I have to leave for a while," his fingers ghosted along her arm before taking her hand._

_"Where are you going?" She frowned. Was he unhappy in Mystic Falls? How long was awhile? He had said when they'd met that he'd been away from town for 'awhile'; time was a different concept when you had an infinite amount of it._

_"I need to check in with my sister," his eyes flickered over her face._

_Bonnie should have hated herself for asking it, but she didn't. "Are you coming back?" She squeezed his hand._

_The fingers of Finn's free hand carded through her hair. He pulled her down to kiss the corner of her mouth. "Eventually," he pulled back and listened to her jumping heartbeat. "I'm not sure when though; it might be awhile."_

_Bonnie nodded reluctantly. Part of her wished he would ask her to join him. The other part wanted to stay as far away from the rest of his family as possible. The only reason she put up with the others was for Caroline and Elena._

_Her thoughts wandered to New Orleans and something Sophie had said before she left the city: 'sleeping with the enemy is one of the oldest rites of passage out there for a witch; they just get better with age'._

_Bonnie found she had to agree with the second part of Sophie's statement when Finn rolled to hover over her and his tongue traced the shell of her ear._

_July 4_

_Bonnie carded her fingers through her short hair and glared at the thin stick in her hand._

_Sophie was wrong about the 'rite of passage'. It seemed destiny and the universe and whatever else was in charge of such things, had a warped sense of humor._

_Apparently the odds were greater than she had thought._

* * *

July 11

Bonnie told them the short version of events: that Finn had come to Mystic Falls shortly after she'd returned from school and that they had 'connected' with each other.

She didn't go into the sordid details; partially because: she didn't want to kiss and tell this time, Klaus was there, and if she were going to kiss and tell it would have been with Caroline and Elena.

The thought of her lost friend brought fresh tears to her eyes.

She swiped them away and realized that the compound had grown quiet as she'd explained everything. Bonnie glanced over her shoulder to see Kol and Elijah staring at her with wide eyes.

* * *

The darkness was all-consuming. It pressed down heavily to numb the senses. Sight, sound, smell and touch became worthless in the heavy haze of black.

* * *

Time was meaningless now. The sleep of the dead had descended. Light was nothing more than a distant memory.

* * *

A tingling sensation swept upwards.

The darkness pulsed; it was angry at being forced away. It's rage was so great that it attempted to return to snuff out the tiny rays of light.

The dark reached out with claw-like fingers and fought in vain to smother the bright glow. Had it been a sentient being it might have realized it's endeavor was a fool's errand.

Not even the darkest night was capable of extinguishing flames, and this fire burnt bright.

* * *

Her dark eyes opened slowly. She had to force them upwards; it wasn't easy with the weights that seemed to be tied to her eyelids.

The first thing she saw was the angular features of Finn. Her eyes crinkled in confusion as she turned and caught sight of a low mirror on the wall.

* * *

Bonnie bolted upright in the queen sized bed. She gasped for breath and lifted her hand to blink at the silver chain tangled around her fingers.


	47. Visions

Bonnie took rapid, shallow breaths. She huddled in a knot in the center of the large bed and ran her fingers through her short hair. The cool metal of Elena's silver necklace dug into her palm.

It wasn't the image of Finn that caused her distress. It was not the concerned set of his mouth or the dark shadows under his eyes; it was not the bed that he had laid her on.

The thing that had so shocked her was the swell under her small hand, and the face that had stared back at her from the mirror. It had been the pain ripping through her stomach.

* * *

A sob tore from her throat. Her body curled into a fetal position over her rock hard stomach. A low inhuman moan followed and made the man wince in sympathy.

"Just breathe," his hand reached over to rub soothing circles on her back, "it will stop in a moment."

She exhaled sharply when the pain subsided. Her hands carefully pushed herself up into a seated position on the bed he had placed her on. She let him help her back against the headboard; he placed a pillow behind her back and she twisted her legs so she sat cross-legged.

She took a deep breath and exhaled before lifting her eyes to view her captor.

Her eyes crinkled in confusion when she recognized his angular features.

Finn's mouth twisted in concern. Dark shadows ringed his flashing eyes.

She settled her hands on her stomach, one on top and the other below, when her eyes shifted to the low mirror. She had little time to focus on her drawn features before the muscles in her body tightened painfully. When the cramping finally subsided she turned her head to look at Finn with tears in her eyes.

"I'm in labour aren't I?" She pressed her lips together and arched her back in an attempt to sooth the ache radiating across the base of her spine. She rocked forward when another cramp ripped through her. "Where's Elijah?"

"Elijah is in New Orleans."

Elena took heaving breaths when the contraction subsided. What little blood remained in her face drained when she spotted the man who was lowering an unconscious Lexa onto the other bed in what had to be a motel of some sort. She tried to back away and nearly fell off the bed; luckily Finn was there to catch her.

"Mikael," Elena breathed. She covered her stomach protectively and felt the thick cuff shift on her slim wrist.

"I mean you no harm Miss Gilbert," Mikael lifted a blanket to cover Lexa's shivering frame. "I am here to help at my daughter's request."

"Rebekah called you?" She remembered the last time she had seen Mikael. "How are you even alive?" She remembered seeing Klaus kill him years ago.

"She brought me back," Mikael nodded to the woman entering through the front door, "to help keep my grandchildren from her fate."

Elena's eyes locked on the slim woman. She appeared to be somewhere between thirty and forty years old. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a low ponytail exposing her bright green eyes. Elena could definitely see the family resemblance.

"Father is here to help you, Elena," Finn gently replaced her on the bed.

"What about Lexa? Why is she still asleep?" Elena waved off Finn's hands and climbed to her feet. She waddled slowly around to sit on the edge of Lexa's bed.

"She'll wake up soon," the woman pressed the back of her hand to Lexa's brow.

Elena wracked her memory. Finn had told her about his older sister months ago. "Freya," Elena remembered, "that's your name right?"

"Yes," Freya nodded. She laid her hand on Elena's stomach as another contraction hit. She felt the muscles tighten beneath the skin and frowned. Her eyes lifted to Finn. "I thought you said her children were not due for another month?"

"Twins tend to come early," Elena grunted. She took two rapid breaths and exhaled.

"You're going to want to take a deep breath when the next contraction comes," Freya stepped back when Elena slapped her hand.

Elena felt the bed shift slightly. She turned her head to see Lexa's eyelids fluttering. She wiped away a bead of sweat and lifted her eyes to glare at the two Original vampires and the witch.

"Since Dahlia is dead can we go back home now?" Elena turned her head to Lexa when she sat up straight and swung her legs off the bed.

"Dahlia is not dead," Freya explained. "Father broke her neck so we could have time to get the two of you away, but she's not dead. Centuries ago she made herself all but immortal. She cannot be killed."

"In my experience nobody is ever truly immortal," Lexa rubbed her eyes. The remnants of the sleeping spell were clinging to her making her feel slightly groggy, but even under the effects of the spell she knew that one fact. "There is always a way to die. Elena and I could be killed by anything that could kill an Original. There is a way to permanently kill Dahlia and I think you know how to do it."

By the time Lexa had finished speaking she was fully awake. She offered Elena a hand when a contraction tore through her and applied a light pressure to her lower back.

"You are correct Lexa," Freya dropped to sit across from the pregnant women on the opposite bed, "there is a way to kill Dahlia, but it's impossible. I tried several centuries ago, but it turns out the final ingredient for the spell no longer exists; by comparison the first two are rather easy to get."

Elena rocked forward when a contraction ripped through her. "Is it supposed to hurt this much this soon?" She bit out through her teeth.

"In the interest of honesty," Freya met her eyes before focusing on Elena's stomach, "you were asleep for about four hours of your labour, so you're jumping right into the middle of it."

"Take me home," Elena tried to stand up only to stumble back, "please…"

"We can't do that," Freya explained gently. "Not yet. We need to wait Dahlia out. Eventually she will put herself to sleep for a century."

"And when will that be?" Lexa winced when Elena's hand closed painfully around her fingers.

Freya's eyes flickered back and forth between the mates of her younger brothers. Lexa's emerald eyes glittered with suppressed anger; her shoulders were set back as if she were ready to strike. Elena was in a great deal of pain but it was very clear that she wouldn't hesitate to fight back if given half the chance. Freya glanced at the cuffs locked around their wrists and thanked whoever was listening that they supressed not only the soul bonds, but also magic.

"Dahlia's spell puts her… and I … to sleep for a century before waking to live out one year of life. She'll put herself to sleep again in seven months as long as she doesn't believe there is a reason to stay awake. Until then we will keep you and your children well hidden."

"How exactly do you plan to do that?" Lexa felt a vein start to throb in her neck. So far none of their supposed saviors had mentioned their soulmates. "Where's my husband?" Her eyes scanned the mid-sized hotel suite as if expecting Kol to jump out from the closet or the bathroom and yell 'surprise'.

"He is in New Orleans with Elijah." Freya approached Elena slowly and carefully helped her back on the bed. "We were going to keep going. I was hoping to get more distance between us and Dahlia, but Elena's contractions were getting closer together."

"Are they coming to meet us?" Elena laid her head against the headboard and closed her eyes. When nobody answered she opened her eyes to find Lexa staring at the others expectantly.

"They are not coming," Finn's ears tracked the footsteps of the passing humans in the hall.

"Don't be ridiculous," Elena gasped as her stomach seized. Each muscle tightened into a hard knot beneath her hands. Elijah would never miss this; he wouldn't miss the birth of their children. Even if he was unaware of the fact that she was in labour Elena knew he wouldn't be too far behind her.

"They're not coming Elena," Lexa's jaw clenched tightly. She reached for her friend's hand.

"No," Mikael shook his head. He lifted the curtain to look through the window. "They will not be coming. In order to hide you both from Dahlia we needed to make her believe that you were dead."

"And in order for her to believe it," Finn finished, "they needed to believe it."

* * *

Bonnie stared at the smooth silver. She should have given it back to Elijah after the spell but she had found herself loathe to part with it. This was a physical reminder of her friend.

She worried her bottom lip and laid her hand over her flat belly. She could feel the echo of the pain deep inside; at first she had worried that she might be losing her child, but that thought was put to rest when she realized the pain was only in her mind.

Bonnie squeezed her eyes shut and held the necklace between her closed palms. The ancient Latin fell from her lips in a shaking voice. An image started to form in her mind's eye.

_Finn sat across from her on a floral bed spread, another man stood in the far corner by a window and a woman was draping a blanket over Bonnie's legs… no… not Bonnie's legs. Bonnie's hand tightened around another. She heard from a distance the soft grunt of Lexa. Lifting her eyes Bonnie focused on Finn._

_"And in order for her to believe it they needed to believe it."_

Bonnie's eyes snapped open. It wasn't possible, was it? She could think of only one way to know for sure, but she didn't have much time.

Jumping from the bed Bonnie raced from the guest bedroom. She took the stairs two at a time and shouldered open the basement door. It was a good thing she had watched Kol and Elijah earlier or else she might not have found the cellar in time.

"Stop," she cried. Bonnie stumbled on the last step. She righted herself before she could hit the floor and gasped for breath. "Stop," she lifted her hand when she saw Kol's hand in the vampire's chest cavity and Elijah holding him steady.

The small pendant swung as Bonnie sent a powerful aneurysm through Kol making him fall to his knees. When Kol and Elijah were out of immediate striking distance Bonnie dropped her spell.

"Don't kill him yet," she strode across the floor and ignored the sticky substance that coated the souls of her feet.

"Why not love?" Kol jumped back to his feet and stood in her path. He glared down at her, but if he was expecting Bonnie to back down he was sorely mistaken.

Bonnie inhaled sharply and used both hands to push him back so she could approach Tristan. She suspected the only reason Kol didn't use more force was because he knew she was pregnant; if Bonnie hadn't revealed her condition a few hours ago she might have found herself pinned to a nearby wall.

She stopped a foot in front of the chained vampire and turned around. Her eyes flickered between Kol and Elijah as she debated not telling them; if she was wrong it would be giving them false hope. Ultimately she decided they should know.

"I don't think they're dead," Bonnie admitted. She removed the chain from around her fingers and passed it back to Elijah. "I th-think I had a vision earlier… of Elena. You said Tristan was sticking to his story of killing them?" She waited while Elijah nodded. "Did you ask how he did it? Because I'll bet he can't tell you… not without a few holes anyway."

"What are you suggesting Miss Bennet?" Elijah crossed his arms and met her flashing eyes.

"I'm saying I saw Finn with Elena… and Lexa… I'm saying I think Tristan was compelled to believe he had killed them, so Dahlia would believe they were dead." Bonnie spun on her heel on the cold floor and lifted her hands to either side of the man's head. Shutting her eyes she concentrated and was rewarded with a pained groan from Tristan as the compulsion was slowly pulled from his mind.


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.  
> I'm sorry about the delay everyone. I realized how close I was to completing Three Deep Breath's so I decided to set Hybrids on the back burner for a few days while I finished that up. I'm also sad to finish this one cause it is getting close to the end with only 5 chapters to go and maybe an epilogue.  
> I've also finally updated my profile. So you can take a look over there for some of the upcoming stories that I'm working on. A lot of them still need titles, but the writing process has started. They might and up being like Three Deep Breath's (getting a rename when I reach the last few chapters).

Bonnie took a step back and wiped away the blood from her nose. The nice thing about being bound to Finn was the accelerated healing; overexertion was no longer a concern. At least… death by overexertion was no longer a concern. She still drained fairly quickly, but she had discovered because of the bond that she recovered a lot faster than she normally would have. Maybe if she had tried something truly taxing a month ago she would have noticed the bond before Finn left to see his sister.

That was another thing. According to Klaus, Rebekah was still in town, so who had Finn really gone to see? Who was the other woman she had seen? Who was the older man?

There were so many questions, and Bonnie truly feared that Tristan would not be able to answer all of them. Would he be able to answer any of them? Was she wrong?

Bonnie had never been the type to cling to blind hope. The knowledge that she possessed a fair degree of psychic ability had given her a reason to believe that her dream was more than a dream, but what if it wasn't?

She experienced her first moment of doubt after entering the basement. Tristan hung limply from the chains; he made no move to defend himself. That could have been because he had no defense. The far more likely scenario was that they hadn't asked him any questions yet.

"What happened to them?" Bonnie fidgeted with her necklace. Was she being ridiculous? Were the baby hormones making her see hope where there was none?

"Who?" Tristan blinked in confusion.

"Elena and Lexa," Bonnie's stomach heaved when he shifted. The wet blood clinging to his stomach shone in the dim overhead lights. "You claimed to have killed them."

"Would that be the pregnant brunette and the pregnant blonde?" He thought back.

"Before you answer Tristan you should know," Elijah lifted the vampires chin, "if you lie to us you'll die. And if it turns out you were telling the truth…"

"Your death will be excruciatingly slow," Kol finished.

"It would not be in my own self-interest to lie," Tristan spat some blood from his mouth. "I would however like to know that I'm thinking of the correct woman before answering."

Bonnie picked up an iPhone from the table and turned on the screen. It was Kol's; an image of Lexa and Kol appeared as the screensaver. She assumed from the silver band across Lexa's chest and what she could see of Kol's clothes the picture had been taken on their wedding day.

"This is Lexa," she lifted the phone to his face. "Does her face bring back any memories?" Bonnie waited with bated breath.

Elijah followed her lead and lifted a picture of Elena for Tristan to see. The mere fact that Tristan needed to have a visual confirmation of their mates had hope rising in his chest.

Tristan glanced at the other phone and pulled himself up by the chains until he was standing at his full height. He remembered them well. He remembered sliding the brunette into the backseat of the car after breaking the witch's neck. He remembered driving away and disposing of the vehicle. Now however there were some new memories in his mind: the real motive and a brief stop before sending the car into the Mississippi river.

"They were asleep last time I saw them," Tristan looked up to meet Elijah's eyes. He might hate the man, but Tristan did have a sense of self-preservation.

"When was that?" Kol took his phone from Bonnie.

The thunderous look in his eyes made her heart leap into her throat. She found herself increasingly glad that she was not on the receiving end of the Original's anger; that she was off limits.

"About twenty minutes before the two of you crashed the party," Tristan's eyes shifted to Kol. His heartbeat remained steady. "I broke the witch's neck and took them from in front of the house in the car she had been planning to use."

"That would explain the lack of a trail," Kol nodded. "What did you do to them?" His fingers flexed as he fought the urge to thrust his hand into Tristan's chest.

"I fastened… Elena?" He looked to Elijah for confirmation. "…Elena's seatbelt before driving off. Then I moved them from one vehicle to another."

"You didn't kill them?" Kol glanced at Elijah from the corner of his eye. He noticed Bonnie rock back on her heels.

"No," he shook his head, "and I highly doubt they are dead now."

"Where are they?" Elijah's jaw clenched tightly.

"I don't know," Tristan answered honestly. "I don't know what happened after they left my possession."

"Who took them from you?" Kol's eyes flashed. He had a growing suspicion, but he needed it confirmed since witches had proven capable of messing with a vampire's mind in the past.

"I did what I was compelled to do," Tristan muttered. "I got them away from the witch and handed them over to your brother. You know I always liked Finn. Out of all of you he seemed the least likely to resort to compulsion."

* * *

"So…" Caroline rubbed her eyes, "… they're not dead?"

"No," Elijah shook his head, "according to Tristan they are in the care of Finn." His hands closed around the edge of the drinks cart. He forced himself to loosen his grip before the wood and metal could warp between his fingers.

"If Finn knows what's good for him then they are in perfect health," Kol muttered darkly. None of them had forgotten the way Finn had reacted to the pregnancies.

"They were fine in my vision," Bonnie glared at the younger Original. Her fingers flexed when she heard the veiled threat in Kol's voice.

"Relax darling," Kol's eyes flickered over her tense shoulders. "Where would Finn take them?"

"Why don't you perform a locator spell and find out?" Klaus paced past the windows.

"I can't," Kol crossed his arms. "Whatever Dahlia did to them has cut off Lexa's magic and dampened bond; it's like my connection with her is muffled."

Klaus tilted his head in confusion. "If Lexa is cut off then so are you?"

Kol nodded.

"Didn't Miss Bennet remove whatever spells were placed on the cuffs?"

"No," Bonnie shook her head. "It would be impossible to do that without actually holding one of them, or seeing it, or knowing precisely what spells were on it." Kol nodded in agreement. "I lowered the cloaking spell. I think another one must have been put up though shortly after and that's why I thought they were dead."

"Is Finn aware of your bond?" Elijah's thumb swiped over the pendant on Elena's necklace.

"I don't think so," she shook her head. "Why is that important?"

"Because if Finn knows about you," Kol pointed to her, "then he knows what he is capable of. He knows he can practice magic again."

"He could have placed a second spell on them," Elijah explained, "either as a failsafe, or because he was unaware of the first."

"Well I don't know if he knows," Bonnie crossed her arms, "and since he's not here I can't exactly ask him."

"Which brings us back to our earlier question," Caroline dropped to sit in an armchair. "Where did Finn go?"

"Why don't you ask Rebekah?"

Four heads snapped around to stare at Bonnie.

"Why would Rebekah know anything about this? We haven't even called her yet," Klaus approached and laid his hand on Caroline's shoulder.

Bonnie's eye's darted from vampire to vampire. "Finn said he was going to check in with his sister," she shrugged. "That was the night before he left."

"Has anyone spoken to Rebekah recently?" Kol turned to his brother's and Caroline while extracting his phone. "She and Stefan were going away for a few days."

"I didn't see Stefan or Rebekah in the vision," Bonnie shook her head. She was going to explain exactly what she had seen and heard when Kol's call connected and she fell silent.

"Hello, sister," he put the phone on speaker for Bonnie's benefit. "I wonder if you've heard from Finn recently."

_"Kol, you bloody wanker! Did you really wake me up at 3 AM to talk about Finn?"_ Her voice lowered slightly as she turned her head from the microphone.  _"Go back to sleep Stefan; it's just Kol being a git."_

"Bekah," Klaus got her attention from across the room, "this is important."

"Elena and Lexa were abducted tonight," Elijah's jaw ticked. This was the third time his mate had been taken since coming to New Orleans. The first time he had to save her, the second time she had saved herself. Who would come to her aid this time? He highly doubted Finn would cause the women physical harm, but he was not so sure about the children. "We need to find Finn."

_"What does Finn have to do with this?"_  They heard what sounded like fabric being tossed into a suitcase.

"He took them," Kol answered. "Where is he?"

_"How should I know? I haven't seen Finn since the wedding."_  They could hear Stefan moving around in the background; it sounded like he was searching for his keys.

"He said he was going to see his sister."

_"Who is that?"_

"That's Bonnie, Bekah," Caroline stood up.

_"What's Bonnie doing there?"_

"Long story," Bonnie tucked her hair behind her ear and crossed her arms.

"She met Finn in Mystic Falls," Kol sighed and quickly explained the situation.

_"Finn and Bonnie are having a baby?"_  Rebekah's voice crackled.

A second later they heard the phone being pulled from Rebekah's fingers. The unmistakable sound of glass shattering sounded over the line before Stefan came on.

_"She hasn't heard from Finn, but we'll be back in town later today. Is there a plan for finding him yet?"_

"We're working on that," Kol sighed. "See you soon."

"What are the odds Finn was lying?"

"Why he lie to me about meeting his sister?"

"Maybe we're approaching this the wrong way," Caroline drew her cardigan closed around her stomach.

"What do you mean, love?" Klaus slid his hand to the small of her back.

"Your aunt survived right?" She waited until they all nodded to see if they were following her train of thought; they weren't. "Your aunt survived a thousand years," Caroline sighed, "what if your sister did too?"

"Freya?" Kol's eyes widened. "You think he went to see Freya. How would he have known she was alive? How would he have even found her?"

"Sounds like a question for Finn," Klaus gave Bonnie a pointed look. "Was he wearing one of those cuffs in your vision?"

Bonnie thought back before shaking her head; his sleeves had been rolled up to expose his bare wrists.

"Then why don't you ask him, darling? And while you're at it try and find out where he has taken them."

Bonnie glared at Klaus and placed her hands on her hips. "How exactly do you propose I do that?"

"With the dreams of course," Klaus tilted his head.

"What dreams?"

"The shared dreams," Kol explained. "Soulmates share dreams when separated by physical space they meet in their dreams. Elijah and I can't reach them because of the cuffs but you are not restrained. Have you not had a dream yet?"

Bonnie shook her head quickly. "I assume for that to happen both parties need to be asleep," she waited until they nodded. "He had dark circles under his eyes. I don't think he's been sleeping since he left Mystic Falls."

"A vampire could easily go a week without sleep," Elijah nodded. "He might have been keeping a different schedule as well."

"How do I guarantee that he's asleep?" Bonnie frowned.

Kol sighed and ran his hand through his short hair. "You could try using the bond to cast a sleeping spell on both of you."

"That might work," Bonnie chewed her lip. "Let's make that plan B."

"What's plan A?" Caroline asked.

"Plan A is that I try a locator spell, but instead of seeking Elena or Lexa I'll look for Finn," Bonnie nodded decisively.

"I'll get what you'll need for the sleeping spell just in case," Kol nodded. "You're going to need something of Finn's to try and find him."

Bonnie bit down on her cheek and rolled her eyes before motioning to her stomach. "I think I've got that covered." A small smile lifted the edge of her mouth when she heard Caroline stifle a giggle.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter as of right now: The delivery, an unexpected surprise for Finn, and the reason Freya believes Dahlia can't be killed.  
> Can anyone guess how the girls are going to get out of their situation? Will they get out of it? Will it be both of them or just one?  
> I dropped a hint during the Lol wedding...


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the update took so long. Inspiration hit for other stories and family game nights came up along with my nephews graduation party.

Freya must have placed a spell around the room. There was simply no other possible explanation.

Her screams would have woken the dead, so it came as a shock when the door to the suite was not bashed in. Surely the other patrons of the hotel could hear. It sounded as if someone was being murdered. It sounded as if someone was being split in two.

Lexa had to admit it was not a bad analogy when she saw the first head appear between Elena's legs.

Elena had refused to let Freya touch her so it fell to Lexa to coach Elena through the process. Luckily she seemed to remember the few months she spent with her aunt in 1698; it all came screaming back to her. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to look at Elena the same way again… then again things might easily go back to normal after she delivered her own baby.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather have help?" Finn leaned against the closed door. Mikael had gone to patrol the perimeter of the hotel while Freya had left to the front desk to procure fresh linens.

"Stay away from me," Elena grunted. Her hands fisted in the sheets and left sweaty marks on the white linen.

"Elena," Lexa wrapped the first baby in a white towel, "I want you to take a minute to relax. You don't have much time before the second one comes." Lexa quickly wiped away the fluid from the newborns eyes and mouth. She patted her back sharply and breathed a sigh of relief when the little girl cried.

Elena sat forward to catch a glimpse of her baby girl. She winced when the movement sent a stab of pain through her body. She held out her arms and sobbed when her baby was laid across her chest.

"Hi baby…" Elena sniffled. "I know," she hiccupped when the baby scrunched up her face and cried, "it's so cold out here. If I could have kept you inside a little longer I would have." She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly as a contraction hit her. "Take her now, Lex…" She gripped the sheets again and grunted as she bore down.

Lexa carefully laid the baby in the center of the other bed before repositioning herself to catch the second baby.

"Finn," Elena barked when he got too close to her child. Sparks flashed in her eyes and she knew Finn was counting his blessings when his gaze dropped to her wrist. "Do not touch her!" She tucked her chin in and pushed when the contraction hit her.

It was a few minutes later when a second cry filled the hotel room. Elena felt her body sag in relief against the headboard. She blinked tiredly and held out her hands for her daughter.

Elena swiped away her tears and motioned for Lexa to pass her the other baby as well.

"Are you sure?" Lexa cradled the baby in her arms.

"Lexa," Elena exhaled and pursed her lips, "please give me my baby. I can handle both of them… I've been doing it since November."

"Fair enough," Lexa chuckled. She ran her fingers over the babies' cheeks and breathed slowly. "They're beautiful. Did you and Elijah pick out names?" Lexa bent her head and kissed one of the girls' foreheads.

"We were discussing a few," Elena sniffled. She focused on her daughters. "We were supposed to have more time though, so the list was still rather long."

Lexa slowly ran her finger over each of the girls' cheeks. A film had gathered there which she gently wiped away with a cloth. She lifted her head and glared when Finn leaned over to get a closer look at the twins.

He sighed and backed away. "How long is this animosity going to last?"

"Well let's see…" Lexa held up her fingers, "you abducted us and you made sure our mates thought we were dead," she wiggled the wrist around her wrist.

Elena blinked back her tears and looked up through her lashes. "As a result Elijah missed the birth of his daughters, and if you have your way Kol will miss the birth of his son."

Lexa nodded and bit down on her cheeks. "This could go on for centuries." She reached around and rubbed the small of her back. "I think they're hungry…" Lexa reached for one of the twins when the other started crying.

Elena nodded in agreement. She shifted to pull down her night dress and smiled gratefully when Lexa picked up her cardigan and draped it over her shoulder.

"Ouch," Elena winced when she felt a sharp sting as the baby latched on it was followed by a gentle tugging sensation. With her right hand she lifted the edge of the sweater. Her eyes widened when she saw the tiny veins pulsating under her eyes. "What are the odds of getting this bracelet off now?" she nibbled on her lip.

"That's the only thing hiding you from Dahlia," Finn nodded to the inch of metal.

"From what I understand she was not looking for us," Lexa helped Elena switch children and burped the first, "she was looking for the babies… Elena's babies are no longer inside of her. All that the cuff is doing now is keeping her from healing, so kindly get Freya to take it off."

"We'll have to wait for her to get back," Finn stepped closer to the bed and eyed the child in Elena's arms. "Do I smell blood… more blood?" He clarified when Lexa looked pointedly to the stained sheets.

"Yes," Elena nodded, "it seems that they require milk and blood."

"Have I told you how happy I am that you got pregnant first?" Lexa bounced the baby gently in her arms. "I'm getting all kinds of warnings ahead of time."

"Yes," Elena remarked drily, "you won't be surprised when the fangs tear into your nipple."

"Precisely," Lexa nodded solemnly. "You're definitely going to have to lose the accessories."

"You were talking about names?" Finn cleared his throat when they leveled him with another glare. "It's going to get very confusing without them."

"Right," Elena nodded. She adjusted her top when the baby finished and laid the child over her shoulder to rub her back. "This feels wrong without Elijah." She looked between her children.

"I know sweetie," Lexa felt her son kick up against the weight of her arm that was holding the little girl. "I hate to agree with one of my kidnappers, but Finn is right. This will get very confusing very quickly without names. What were you thinking of?"

Elena used her free hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and stared down at the soft towel Lexa had wrapped around the girls before listing off the names: "Charlotte, Sophia, Abigail, Claire, Victoria, Grace, Faith, Joy, Lucy, Sarah, Nina, Quinn, Daisy, Rose, Violet, and Lily."

"Lot of flowers," Lexa laughed.

"I went through a phase last week," Elena sighed tiredly, "had to have flowers in every room of the house."

"That's a lot of names too," Finn leaned against the wall.

"Like I said we were supposed to have more time," Elena sighed. She sat up when Finn stumbled. "Are you alright?" She bit down on her cheek when the concern leaked through her voice. She had never been capable of holding a grudge for long.

"I'mperfe-lyfi…" Finn slurred. He blinked in an attempt to keep his eyes open; it didn't work. His eyes drifted shut before he fell to the floor.

Elena carefully put the baby on the bed and dropped onto the floor to feel his pulse. Her body protested the movement.

"You know he can't actually die right?" Lexa put down the other baby and carefully joined Elena. "Like he said…" she felt his pulse and bent to listen to his breathing, "… he's perfectly fine. I think he's asleep."

"He just fell asleep standing up?" Elena whispered harshly.

"Do you see the circles under his eyes? I don't think he's slept in a week."

"That doesn't mean he'd just keel over," Elena protested. "Elijah went nearly a month with little to no sleep and he was fine… for the most part."

"I'm not too worried," Lexa rocked back on her legs. "He is an Original. You're a very forgiving person aren't you?"

"Don't get me wrong," Elena shivered, "I'm very angry with him, but whether I like it or not he's family."

"Oh come off it," Lexa rolled her eyes, "I know you can't hold a grudge to save your life."

"I can to," Elena insisted.

"Kol told me what Klaus did to you."

Elena shrugged and sighed. "Fine… I can't hold a grudge."

"Can you accept that Finn's unconscious for the time being and take advantage of the fact?" Lexa slipped a finger beneath the clasp of the cuff.

Elena tilted her head when the cuff fell off and thumped on the carpet. "How did you…?"

"I've got a little more practice with magic than you have," Lexa shrugged.

"Of course you do grandma," Elena rolled her eyes, "but how did you do it?"

"Concentrated power surge," Lexa helped Elena to her feet. "I did it when Freya left and you were busy screaming."

"Can you get mine off?" Elena held out her hand. She rubbed her wrist after Lexa muttered a few choice words under her breath, that might have been cursing in Spanish, and the cuff fell away.

"How do you feel?" Lexa watched Elena's spine straighten. The muscles in her stomach shrunk before Lexa's eyes.

"Exhausted and hormonal," Elena took stock of her body, "but otherwise fine. If I had to I could run. I'm really hoping whatever plan you have does not involve running, though."

"I love how you just assume I have a plan," Lexa smirked.

"Don't you?" Elena raised an eyebrow and leaned over her children. With the cuff off she could easily hear their hearts beating. She hadn't been able to do that when they were still inside of her. "Mikael and Freya are still out there, and I've got two children. I can't run Lex."

"You don't have to," Lexa assured her. "At least, I don't think you have to. Do you remember my friend Phoebe?"

"From the wedding?" Elena looked back over her shoulder.

"Yeah," Lexa reached down and picked up one of the girls. She nodded for Elena to pick up the other and started towards the door. "She has a sister with a particular… set of skills."

"Liam Neeson style skills?" Elena followed the blond. "Originals can't be killed."

"Transportation skills," Lexa chuckled. "Phoebe told me if I ever needed anything I just had to call. Unfortunately there is a spell over the hotel that's cloaking us… I don't know why Freya bothered because of the cuffs. It's blocking her from hearing me."

"When you said call you weren't talking about a phone," Elena whispered as they stepped out of the room. She could feel the spell hanging over them."

"Nope," Lexa murmured, "I just have to shout. If she's got her ear to the ground, so to speak, then I just have to say her name."

"Why couldn't you just lift the spell and call from the room?" Elena pressed the button for the elevator. She already knew the answer, but she found the soft conversation was keeping her anxiety at bay.

"Because," Lexa stepped inside and pressed the button for the lobby, "we didn't know how long Finn would be out."

"You didn't put him out?"

"No," Lexa shook her head, "that was a fortunate coincidence."

Elena bounced on the balls of her feet and swayed when the baby started to stir. "How far do we have to go? How are we going to avoid Freya and Mikael? I'm covered in blood, Lex."

"I don't know how far, but we'll feel the spell lift. I would have assumed outside of the hotel room, but Freya appears to be slightly paranoid and has planned for us making a break for it." She adjusted the baby and took Elena's hand. "As for avoiding them I'm going to need your help."

"Okay," Elena glanced up at the numbers over the doors. They were almost to the lobby where Freya had gone. "What's the incantation?"

"Invisique," Lexa murmured. "Concentrate on spreading the spell over yourself and the baby; I'll do the same."

Elena nodded once and murmured the incantation with her. She could feel it in her chest and imagined it spreading over them both.

Elena opened her eyes when the elevator dinged and slowly stepped out to cross the lobby at a snail's pace with Lexa. She held her breath and stepped out of the way of Freya.

Freya paused by the elevator and looked inquisitively over her shoulder before shrugging and stepping inside.

Elena breathed a sigh of relief and hurried after Lexa through the lobby doors.

Lexa winced as the gravel hit the soles of her feet. She took a few steps into the night and motioned Elena into an alcove by a side entrance. She opened her mouth and blinked when a hand slapped over it.

Elena nodded a few feet away where Mikael had come to a standstill. Her eyes were wide when she realized that he was staring straight at them. Why wasn't he moving closer?

"Can he see us?" She whispered.

Lexa peeked through the corner of her eyes. "I don't think so," she blinked and narrowed her eyes. "I think he can smell the blood though."

"A shower might have been a good idea," Elena murmured.

"No time."

"I know. What do we do? He'll see your friend."

A startled cry echoed from somewhere in the hotel. Elena thought it might have been Freya. She was sure of it when Mikael's head whipped around and he flashed away at vampire speed. "That was fortuitous. I guess it's now or never."

Lexa nodded and opened her mouth to shout. "Paige!"

* * *

"I take it the locator spell didn't go to well," Elijah caught a flying candle.

"Not so much," Bonnie huffed. She kicked another candle for good measure and stomped on the map laid out on the floor.

"On to the sleeping spell then," Kol righted the candle and stamped out the tiny fire Bonnie had started. "If you mix up these herbs and use this incantation it should affect both you and Finn." He passed her the ingredients.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie started grinding the ingredients.

"I might not be able to practice at the moment Bon-Bon but I do understand the basic concepts," Kol smirked.

Bonnie flipped him off. "Don't call me that."

"Fine, darling," Kol chuckled.

Bonnie glared at the pet name and started chanting. She mixed the herbs together and dropped them into a glass of water Caroline passed her. She had taken stock of each herb and knew it would not hurt the baby.

"How long until it works?" Bonnie grimaced and downed the glass. She felt her eyelids droop.

"No time at all," Kol sped around and caught her as she fell. He carried her over to the couch and laid her down.

"How long until she wakes up?" Elijah gripped the back of the sofa and listened to Bonnie's heart beat slow and steady.

"With that particular mix and her body size…" Kol tilted his head, "… maybe an hour… two at the most."

"Then we wait."

"We wait," Kol nodded.

The brothers paced the room quickly. Every few seconds their heads would turn to Bonnie.

"You two are going to wear a hole in that carpet," Klaus wrapped his arm around Caroline's waist. "Are you alright Kol?"

"I'm… fine," Kol blinked. "Just a chill."

"Since when does the cold affect you?" Caroline laid her head on Klaus' shoulder and crossed her arms.

"Not that kind of chill," Kol felt a grin starting to turn up the corners of his mouth.

* * *

_"What the bloody hell?"_

_"Hello to you too sunshine," Bonnie sat up and rolled her eyes._

_"Bonnie?" Finn peered around and found he was in her bedroom. "How did I get here?"_

_"Well," Bonnie shifted so she was sitting against the headboard, "it seems that soulmates share dreams when physically separated… at least according to your brothers."_

_"My brothers?" Finn's head whipped around. The bed shifted as he turned to meet her eyes. "You've been speaking with my brothers? When? Where?"_

_"I was talking to Kol a few seconds ago," Bonnie inhaled, "in New Orleans. That's where I am right now."_

_"Bonnie," Finn reached out and cupped her cheek, "why are you in New Orleans?"_

_"You said you were going to see your sister," Bonnie laid her hand over his. "I needed to talk to you, but Rebekah hasn't heard from you."_

_"That's because I went to see another sister," Finn stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Freya."_

_"Your brothers mentioned her," Bonnie nodded, "how did you know she was alive?"_

_"She umm…" Finn shrugged one shoulder, "… Freya called me."_

_"She had your number?" Bonnie narrowed her eyes._

_"No," he shook his head. "She started communicating with me via spells. Soulmates share strengths right?"_

_"You knew?" Bonnie backed away from him and stood up to pace at the foot of the bed. "How long did you know?"_

_"I've known since Freya started talking to me," Finn watched her move for a minute before standing up. He took her shoulders to stop her from moving and tipped up her chin. "The only way we could communicate was with magic. If I was not capable of using it…"_

_"She couldn't talk to you," Bonnie finished. "That doesn't answer my question. How long did you know?"_

_"A week. I knew the truth for a week before I left Mystic Falls." Finn swallowed when she backed away again and stood by the window. "I wouldn't have left, but she needed help to get the children out of New Orleans."_

_"And make Kol and Elijah think they were all dead?" Bonnie crossed her arms and glared. A muscle ticked in her jaw. "Do you hate your brothers that much?"_

_"Bonnie…"_

_"Do you? You should have seen how distraught they were. If I hadn't had a vision of Elena in labour they might have killed Tristan before I could get some answers."_

_"You saw Elena?"_

_"I saw you," Bonnie blinked back a few tears, "and I felt her labour." She held up her trembling hand. "Don't..."_

_Finn stopped his approach and held up his hands. "Do they know?"_

_"That their mates are alive?" Bonnie asked. "Yeah… they know. I told them. Why did you take them Finn?"_

_"To get them away from Dahlia, but for it to work Dahlia had to believe they were dead." Finn took a hesitant step forwards. "The plan was always to bring them back."_

_"When Finn?" Her voice rose. "Do you realize for a good six hours I thought one of my best friends was dead?"_

_"I'm sorry," Finn met her angry eyes. "We were going to bring them back after Dahlia had put herself back to sleep in seven months."_

_"What makes you think she would put herself to sleep?" Bonnie tapped her fingers against her arm._

_"She has no reason to stay awake," Finn closed the distance and hesitantly reached out to cup her neck; his thumbs grazed her jaw. "The only reason would be the children, and she believes they have all perished."_

_Bonnie pressed her lips together and closed her eyes. She peeked through her eyes lashes at his chin and took a deep breath. "So… you didn't know everything when you left."_

_Finn lifted her chin with his knuckle and peered into her serious eyes. "What didn't I know Bonnie?" His eyes widened when her arms unfolded and her hands covered her stomach. "Bonnie?"_

_"I came to New Orleans to try and find you," she murmured, "I didn't know about the dreams at the time, and I didn't know you had a crazy baby snatching aunt."_

_"Bonnie?" He repeated her name. He needed to hear her say it._

_"Is there a way to kill her?" She chewed on her lip and lifted her eyes._

_Finn nodded slowly. "The last ingredient is impossible."_

_"What is it?"_

_"My mother's blood," Finn shook his head and reached for her hands. "Bonnie are you or are you not pregnant?"_

_"I am. That's how I figured out the soulmate thing."_

_Finn's breath caught in his throat. It was a good thing they were locked in their own subconscious and that they didn't need to breath._

_"Does she know?"_

_"No," Bonnie shook her head. "I was concealing the pregnancy when I met her."_

_"You met her?" Finn cried._

_Bonnie flinched at his harsh tone and nodded._

_"I'm sorry," Finn's eyes darted to her stomach, "I didn't mean to startle you. Bonnie… please get out of that city. If I had known I would have brought you with me."_

_"I'll leave when she's dead," Bonnie's hands splayed over his chest, "and not a moment sooner. You need to bring them back."_

_"It's not safe," Finn shook his head. "Meet me outside of the city and I'll take you away."_

_"If you want me you know where to find me."_

_"Bonnie please…"_

_"No," she shook her head._

_Finn sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Has anyone ever told you that you are exceedingly stubborn?"_

_"I've heard it," she smirked. "I've also been called a force of nature."_

_"Mother once called Freya and I that when we were children… when I was still human."_

_"The universe has a real warped sense of humor."_

_Finn looked back up into her eyes when he heard the snicker. "I… what do you mean?"_

_"The witch who hates vampires and the self-loathing vampire," Bonnie explained. "We're quite the pair aren't we?"_

_"That we are," his hands settled over her hips. "No amount of pleading is going to get you to leave the city is it?" He nodded when she shook her head. "Alright. I'm sure they are going to ask the moment you wake up so Elena and Lexa are in perfect health… well as healthy as she can be after giving birth."_

_"Elijah's going to kill you," Bonnie slid her hands up around his neck._

_"And Kol will help," he nodded. Finn glanced over his shoulder when he heard a voice calling. "I think I'm going to wake up soon. I can hear Freya and Father."_

_Bonnie didn't get a chance to ask what he meant before he was gone and she was holding empty air. It was several minutes later when her own consciousness was ripped from the dream._

* * *

"What do you mean they're gone?" Finn rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"That's what I'd like to know," Freya gathered up the few things she'd brought inside before tearing open the door. "You were supposed to be watching them." She picked up the cuffs when they fell from the cardigan.

"Did you take those off?" Mikael took the cuffs from Freya.

"No," Finn shook his head. "They were wearing them when I fell under the spell."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a few serious questions for everyone.  
> 1\. What do you think the twins' names should be? Something on the list or something else?  
> Here is the list again: Charlotte, Sophia, Abigail, Claire, Victoria, Grace, Faith, Joy, Lucy, Sarah, Nina, Quinn, Daisy, Rose, Violet, and Lily.  
> 2\. Should I write four shorter chapters or two longer ones (like this)? I'm inclined to do the longer ones... either way this story might be wrapped up by the end of the week.


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.  
> I do not own charmed

"Is waking up supposed to be that abrupt?" Bonnie yawned. In spite of the brief nap she did not feel any more relaxed. "I felt like I was ripped out."

"No," Kol shook his head and helped her sit up, "someone likely interfered with the spell from the other end."

"Your father and Freya," Bonnie nodded.

"Our father is dead," Klaus reminded her.

"Not according to Finn."

"You did find him then?" Caroline stepped away from Klaus to sit with Bonnie. "What did he say?"

"Before or after he begged me to get out of town?" Bonnie straightened her shirt.

"He wanted you to leave?" Elijah perched in an armchair across from Bonnie and Caroline.

"Yeah," Bonnie chewed her lip, "apparently he knew I was his soulmate. He didn't know I was pregnant though; he wanted me to get as far from your aunt as possible. Wanted me to meet him somewhere outside the city."

"What did you tell him?" Klaus rocked back on his heels.

"That if he wanted me he knew exactly where I was," she shrugged. "I told him to bring them back… they're fine by the way."

"They are?" Elijah sat forward and met her tired eyes.

Bonnie nodded slowly. "Yeah, perfectly healthy… he said Elena had the babies." She hurried on when she saw the anger flashing in Elijah's eyes. "He also said there was a way to kill Dahlia but the last ingredient was impossible to get."

"What is it?" Kol's knuckles turned white.

"Your mother's blood."

"What were the other ingredients?" Caroline caught her attention.

"I didn't get a chance to ask," Bonnie fingered her necklace. "He was with your sister too."

"Rebekah said…"

"Not Rebekah," Bonnie cut Kol off, "he was with Freya."

"Did he happen to say where he was?" Elijah stood and paced the room. "Is he going to bring them back?"

"No," Bonnie shook her head. She didn't have to clarify; it was clear she was answering both questions.

"Finn might not bring them home," Klaus caught his brother's arm, "but there is a very good chance he's coming back." His eyes cut to Bonnie. "He's got something to lose now, and I don't think he's going to leave her anywhere near Dahlia."

"Finn referred to our children as 'abominations'," Kol growled at the memory.

"Things change," Klaus shrugged. "He wanted her to leave town when he found out she was pregnant. I doubt he would have left her alone if he'd known before."

"That's what he said," Bonnie nodded. "He won't bring them back. He might come for me, but he won't bring them back until Dahlia has put herself to sleep for a century in seven months."

"Then we'll try to find them again," Kol reset her candles and smoothed over the map.

"What makes you think that will work now?" Bonnie rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Because," Kol waved his hand and lit the candles, "the cuffs appear to have been removed and two witches are better than one." He flashed away and returned with a blood bag.

"You need a snack first?" Bonnie nodded to the bag. She felt her stomach shift dangerously.

"It's Elena's," Kol rolled his eyes. "If we use my blood or anyone else's," he nodded to his brothers, "we'll get every member of the family. If we use Elena's we find her."

"That's assuming we have enough power to break through whatever cloaking spells are still in place."

"Let's assume we do," Kol sat across from her on the floor and poured some blood on the map. He reached for Bonnie's hands when the blood pooled in the center.

_"Phasmatos Tribum Nas Ex Veras, Sequita Saguines, Ementas Asten Mihan Ega Petous…"_

"Something's happening," Caroline leaned over and watched as the blood began to form a trail.

"They're in the central united states?" Klaus watched the red tracks as the blood formed a shape.

"That's a rather large area," Elijah knelt. "It's encompassing half of the country."

"What's going on?" Caroline knelt down when the blood shifted. "That's not a circle."

Bonnie opened her eyes when she felt the spell finish. She and Kol looked down at the same time and regarded the shape on the paper. The blood had formed three interlaced arcs within the circle.

"What is that?" Bonnie leaned forward and swallowed the rising bile.

"It is a triquetra," Kol's eyes narrowed. "It's three forces drawn together… the circle emphasizes their unity."

"Why did the locator spell give us this?" Bonnie sat back and closed her eyes. She drew in a shallow breath through her mouth.

"I don't know."

* * *

Elena was grateful for the arms that wrapped around her waist. Lexa had not been joking about the 'particular set of skills' Elena just wished she had been warned about the after effects. Every molecule in her body shook as her feet landed on the hardwood floors. It took a second but she found her footing.

Whether her quick recovery was a result of her bond with Elijah or if it was normal remained unknown.

"Thank you," Elena turned to the short brunette.

"Don't mention it," she removed her hands when it was clear Elena was alright to stand. "I'm Paige by the way."

"Elena," she nodded. "I'd shake your hand but I'm a bit of a mess right now, and I don't think you want to touch me until I've cleaned up." Elena's eyes roamed around the room slowly.

They were standing in a large entry beside a set of stairs. There was a high table beside her with a vase full of fresh flowers and a tall grandfather clock off to one side that chimed out the hour.

"Where are we?" Elena's eyes drooped. She knew there must be circles under them. "I thought we were going home."

"I brought you to my family home in San Francisco," Paige took her arm and pulled her back from the stairs. Three sets of feet pounded down. "I thought it would be safer to hide you hear until we knew what you were dealing with."

"How long will that take?" Lexa watched three children come to a stop on the stairs.

"A couple hours," Paige shrugged. She turned to the kids. "Don't just stand there and stare," she chastised, "go get your backpacks. You're going to be late for school."

"Yes aunt Paige," the girl sighed and pushed passed her brothers.

"Are those Piper's kids," Lexa watched them go.

"Wyatt, Chris and Melinda," Paige nodded. "They're growing up so fast."

"Melinda was only a few days old last time I saw her," Lexa smiled at the memory.

Elena turned the conversation back. "I'd rather not make Elijah wait until his daughters are teenagers for him to see them," she tightened her hold on the baby. "It will only be a few hours, right?"

"I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you two get home as soon as possible," Paige swore. "All of us will." Her eyes darted between the twins. "I've given birth to twins before and I know from experience that you really want to get cleaned up and rest. Let me show you to a bathroom."

Elena stepped back and held her baby close; she reached with one hand for her other daughter.

"I understand that you don't trust me yet," Paige held up her hands palms out. "You do trust Lexa though?"

Elena nodded.

"Alright," Paige smiled. "Lexa can watch the kids in the attic while you clean up."

"Why the attic?" Elena narrowed her eyes.

"It's the safest room in the house," Lexa explained. "It's covered in spells that will keep Dahlia from being able to locate us… assuming she's figured out we're alive."

Elena pressed her lips together and listened to her children's hearts. She had no reason to distrust Paige; the woman had just rescued her from her kidnappers. Sure she had been expecting to go straight home, but she understood the reasoning behind her decision to take them even further away. It wasn't like she was planning to take them away for a long period of time.

Elena lifted her eyes to Lexa. "Do you trust her?"

"With my life," she replied without hesitation. "In 300 years I've only ever trusted three women. Paige is one of them." Elena nodded once.

"I assume my sisters are the others," Paige stepped up. "Would you prefer to orb again or take the stairs?"

"Stairs, please," Elena grimaced.

Lexa and Paige chuckled but led the way to the attic. Elena watched as Paige moved a few boxes around and pulled out a whicker bassinet.

"You still have that?"

"Of course," Paige grinned over her shoulder. "It's a family heirloom." She moved the bassinet over beside a red sofa. "You can watch the twins while Elena showers. I'll pop out and get a few baby things. Am I right in assuming you're breastfeeding?"

"Yeah," Elena nodded as she laid her daughter down. She watched the sisters in the bassinet as they seemed to shift closer together. She bent down and kissed their heads. "I love you both so much," she inhaled deeply and kissed them again. "I'm going to leave you with your auntie and I'll be back in a few minutes. I promise."

Elena straightened up and followed Paige out of the attic. She watched Paige open a door and lay some fabric on the counter top. She figured she must have been really out of it not to notice when she grabbed the clothes.

"Are you going to be alright?" Paige asked.

Elena nodded. She pushed the door shut when Paige left and the sound of wind chimes could be heard in the hallway.

She took a deep breath before pulling the nightdress over her head and turning to the mirror. Elena backed up until she could see her thighs in the glass and took stock of her appearance. Her sweat drenched hair had dried somewhat but was still plastered to her head. Her breasts were swollen and tender to the touch; a watery red stain surrounded her nipples from where she had fed the girls. Her hand smoothed over her flat stomach and stopped at the apex of her thighs where a dark red stain had taken over her legs.

She stepped over the lip of the tub and turned on the hot water. Her hands quickly scrubbed down every inch of her body with a sweet smelling soap before moving on to her hair.

When she emerged from the shower five minutes later the bathroom was covered in steam. She quickly pulled on the borrowed sweats hung the towel on a peg and raced out of the bathroom and back up the stairs.

"Who are you?" She stormed across the attic and bent over her children.

"This is Piper," Lexa introduced the older brunette. "Piper this is Elena."

Piper stood up and offered her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You're Paige and Phoebe's sister?" Elena shook her hand. "I can see the resemblance now."

Piper nodded. "Don't worry," she nodded towards the children, "I totally get it. I've got three kids. I'd freak out too if I saw a stranger bent over them. You have two beautiful children. What are their names?"

"She hasn't named them yet," Lexa whispered.

"I think I know now," Elena smiled and knelt beside the bassinet to watch her daughters. "I think Elijah would agree with me." She ran a finger over the onesies; one was purple and the other green. After carefully scrutinizing each child's face she smiled. "This is Faith Jenna Mikaelson," she ran her fingers over the baby in green, "and this is Grace Miranda Mikaelson." She repeated the motion.

"She does look like a Faith," Lexa nodded, "and she is definitely a Grace. I don't think it would work the other way around though."

"Like me and Katherine," Elena snickered.

"Exactly."

Elena nodded and turned to Piper. "Did Paige come back?"

"Yeah," Piper nodded. "She left again to get Phoebe. Paige mentioned something about wanting to get home as quickly as possible."

"We need a way to kill an immortal witch," Lexa frowned. Less than six months ago she had cringed at the thought, but now she was primed and ready to take out Dahlia. "We actually know how to make her mortal, but we have to gain an impossible ingredient."

"Nothing's impossible," Piper crossed the attic towards a book on a podium. "What do you have to have?"

"The blood of a dead witch," Elena glanced up from the girls. She picked up Faith when she began to fuss.

"You were listening?" Lexa straightened her top.

"The conversation was happening around me," Elena rolled her eyes.

"Well, yeah," Lexa crossed her arms, "but you were screaming bloody murder. I didn't think you heard."

"Well I did," Elena bounced Faith and smiled when she calmed down. "I heard everything. To make Dahlia mortal we would need sacred soil from Norway, Viking ash, and Esther's blood."

"When did she die?" Piper carried the book over to the couch.

"Over a thousand years ago," Lexa bit her lip and twisted her wedding rings.

"That's not impossible," Piper chanced after a pause. "Do you remember when Chris came back in time?"

"I remember," Lexa tilted her head, "I also recall that he only travelled back a couple of decades, and you never actually found a way to send him home."

"Are you suggesting we go back in time to get her blood?" Elena's head whipped around when Grace started to fuss; Faith reacted to it and in a moment they were both wailing. Elena's eyes widened. "Shh please stop crying," she murmured to the newborns.

"Are they hungry?" Piper suggested.

"They just ate," Elena shook her head.

"How long ago?" Piper paused and waited for Elena to nod before picking up Grace.

"About an hour," Elena thought back, "an hour and a half."

"They could be hungry again," Piper nodded. "Wyatt was feeding every hour and a half for the first week after he was born. Chris was every three hours, and Melinda was somewhere in between."

Elena turned her head down when the cry turned piercing. The veins under her eyes darkened and pulsated. "Yeah," she shook with a laugh as tears spilled down her cheeks, "they're hungry." She took a deep breath before shifting to sit on the couch and unbuttoning the shirt.

"Here," Lexa passed her a receiving blanket.

Elena covered her eyes with her free hand when Faith latched on and began feeding, but Grace continued to cry. She looked up when Piper sat beside her and carefully positioned the baby in Elena's free arm.

"Oh," Elena's eyes widened. "I didn't think I could feed both of them at once."

"Sure you can," Piper smiled. "As long as you can comfortably hold them then you can feed them."

Elena shifted slightly and felt the blanket slip. She might have been embarrassed if she were not so tired; she really wasn't sure how her eyes were still open. The fact that it was Lexa and a woman who had clearly been through this before helped. She took a deep breath and tipped her head back to try and stay awake. "You were talking about time…"

"Yeah," Piper picked up the book. "We made a return spell, if you will, but we haven't had a chance to test it yet."

"You want to go back 1000 years without knowing if we can come back?" Lexa adjusted Elena's receiving blanket.

"Of course not," Piper shook her head. "We'll test it right now. I'll go downstairs and send myself back thirty minutes. That way if it doesn't work I've only got to wait thirty minutes."

Lexa looked sceptical but nodded. She helped Elena lay the girls back down after burping and changing them. "You should sleep," Lexa told her.

"No," Elena shook her head. She stood up and took a few laps around the room to wake up. "I'm not sleeping until the Dahlia mess is cleaned up."

"Elena," Lexa caught her arms. "You're safe here, alright? I promise. The Halliwell attic is one of the safest places we could ever hope to be. Now I want you to lie down on that couch and close your eyes; you'll be up and going again in a couple of hours when the twins get hungry again."

Elena moved as if to protest but stumbled backwards onto the couch. She would have fought back to sit, but the sofa was insanely comfortable when Lexa guided her to lie down.

"Just a short nap," Elena murmured as her eyes drifted shut.

"Of course, sweetie," Lexa nodded. She straightened up when she heard Elena's breathing even out. "Did it work?" She glanced back over her shoulder to Piper.

"Yup," Piper traipsed into the room with her sisters. "I wrote down the spells for you."

"Piper filled us in on the way upstairs," Phoebe rushed forwards and wrapped her arms around Lexa. "The spell sends you back in time, but we'll have to travel to the right place first."

"Until then," Paige stepped in, "you can rest. Phoebe and I are going to go and get the other ingredients for you when we get back we'll all go for the blood and then we'll take you home."

Lexa pressed her lips together to keep in her sob. Now that Elena was sleeping she had realized just how tired she was; up until that point it had been about escaping. "Thank you," her lip trembled. "Can I um… use the phone first? I want to call Kol."

"Of course."

* * *

"We all know that is where they would go," Finn's fingers tightened around the steering wheel as he sped down the freeway.

"I'm not contesting that," Mikael watched the passing scenery closely for any sign of them. "I'm suggesting that we take the time to look around Charleston first. How far could they have possibly gotten?"

"We'll never find them," Freya spoke up from the back seat. "I've tried several locator spells and each time I get the same result."

"You don't know what it means?" Mikael turned to stare at the maps. Each one was covered in the same symbol.

"I know what a triquetra represents," Freya sighed and crossed her legs, "but I don't know why I keep getting it, or why it covers the entire map."

"We are going to beat them there," Mikael nodded to the speedometer.

"I don't know about that," Finn shook his head. "Lexa Ricci is over 300 years old. She's resourceful. I wouldn't be surprised if she was already there."

"It's nearly 12 hours," Freya pulled her hair back. "Unless they took a plane like we did." She frowned when she saw the sign for the French Quarter. "I don't like being this close to Dahlia."

"We won't be here long," Mikael assured her, "just long enough to get Elena and Lexa back out."

Finn said nothing as he turned off towards the city. He had a feeling Bonnie would not roll over and leave; his soulmate was a stubborn woman.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter to go. I'm going to be so sad when it's done.  
> I will probably do an epilogue as well, but I'm not going to make any promises for that.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO or CHARMED.  
> This story started out as a short one with only 20 chapters planned. Now it is 50 chapters plus a prologue and an epilogue. I'd like to say that I never intended to bring in charmed when I started. It was just fun little hints I dropped in the story here and there to amuse myself, but I do not regret my inclusion of the Halliwells.

Elijah and Kol picked themselves up off the ground and glared. Any other person would have shrunk back from the harsh stares of the two ancient vampires, but Bonnie just returned their stare with one of her own. Her hand remained extended ready to strike again if they ventured too close.

"It's alright, Bonnie," Finn reached out and lowered her hand when the gaping hole in his stomach closed. "I most definitely deserved that."

"You deserved worse than that," Bonnie glared at him. She lowered her hand as the protective instincts faded. He was an Original; he couldn't be killed by his brothers.

"Fair enough," Finn nodded. He turned his head slowly and examined each corner of the courtyard. "Where are they? Upstairs?"

"What are you talking about?" Elijah brushed some dust from his sleeves.

"Elena and Lexa," Mikael strode inside with a young woman at his side. "Where are they?"

"You had them," Kol narrowed his eyes. "Finn please tell me you've finally developed a sense of humor and are pulling an inappropriate practical joke."

"You said you wouldn't bring them back," Bonnie crossed her arms and whispered.

"And I meant that," Finn's eyes caught the sparkling stone around her neck. He could sense several charms in place on the pendant. "However, when I said it I was under the impression they were still five feet away from me."

"I came back into the room and they were gone."

"You must be Freya," Klaus leaned against the railing halfway down the stairs.

"And you're the brother who has torn this family apart more times than I can count," Freya crossed her arms.

"You two are going to get along so well," Rebekah came around a corner. "So Elena and Lexa are missing?"

"Yes," Freya nodded. "Whenever I try to find them I get the same result," she pulled one of the maps from her back pocket.

"A triquetra?" Kol took the map from her. "It's the same thing Bonnie and I received."

"Did you try the spell that gives you a vision of them?" Finn asked.

"We've tried everything," Bonnie tilted her head back to meet his eyes.

"Might I suggest trying again?" Freya cocked an eyebrow. "You've got three witches now."

"Four," Kol interjected.

"No, three," Freya uncrossed her arms and sighed. "I won't use magic this close to Dahlia. I haven't used any whenever we were still; it was all Finn."

"Why?" Bonnie swallowed and toyed with her necklace.

"Because, Dahlia can track a firstborn's magic," she explained. "It's how she tracked down Elena and Lexa. They were subconsciously channeling their unborn children in every spell."

"Should I be doing this then?" Bonnie asked as they filed back into the library and Kol laid out some candles and a map.

"Why wouldn't you…" Freya's eyes widened and darted from Finn to Bonnie. "Please tell me you have not been using magic."

Bonnie bit her lip and shrugged. "I can't do that."

"Bloody hell," Freya groaned.

"Dahlia doesn't know about the baby," Bonnie protested. "I was wearing the necklace the entire time."

"No you weren't," Elijah caught her confused gaze. "When you were in the basement with Tristan you weren't wearing it."

Bonnie was going to protest when she saw Kol nod in agreement. "Shit."

"She already knows," Freya sighed.

"Well," Kol lit the candles, "no point in hiding anymore. She's going to come for Bonnie anyway."

* * *

"Are these still considered safe?" Elena tested the weight of the baby carriers in her hands.

"They were Tamora and Kat's," Paige frowned, "and they're eight now so… I wouldn't put them in a car." She draped a couple of blankets over the tops of the car seats. "Fortunately for you we're not traveling by conventional means."

"Remind me again where exactly we're going," Phoebe dropped a few potion vials in her purse along with a thin knife. One was filled with black soil, one was filled with Viking ash, and the final was empty.

"The Mystic Falls cemetery," Elena looked up and passed Faith to Lexa. With her free hand she reached for Piper.

They quickly formed an open circle with Paige holding her sister's hands and her sisters holding on to Elena and Lexa.

"Alright," Paige looked around the group. "You remember the drill… don't let go at any time."

Elena nodded once. She tightened her grip on the carrier until her knuckles turned white and murmured a soft apology to Piper when she winced. The wind chimes sounded again. Paranoia stretched up from her toes as her body became weightless; her hands held on even tighter. The next thing she knew she was standing beneath the tree where she had met Stefan years before.

"Lead the way," Paige gestured to Elena when she regained her footing.

It took about ten minutes of walking before the mausoleum came into view. "This is the place," she turned around to address them.

"Are you sure?" Lexa eyed the area.

"I'm sure," Elena nodded. "Elijah once told me where they lived when they were human and that this mausoleum," she pointed to the low brick building, "was built over the sight of their home."

"Then I'd say it's time for a trip," Paige pulled out a couple of pages of paper. She reached out for Lexa's hand when she set down the car seat and held the page so she could read it.

"The spell was cast in the fall of 1001," Elena lifted the seat holding Grace onto the bench. "You can go any time before that. Are you sure you're up for this Lexa?"

"I'm fine. I just phone call had gone through. How about May 13, 1001?" Lexa suggested. She took Phoebe's hand and started chanting with Paige when she nodded.

_Hear the words, hear the rhyme_

_Heed the hope within our minds_

_Send us back so we can find_

_What we seek in space and time_

"How long until they come back?" Elena watched the space where they had disappeared. She kept one ear on the twins even breathing and moved to unfasten Grace when she heard the slight shift in her heart; she was already sitting down and draping the receiving blanket over her shoulder when Grace started to cry.

"It should only take them a few minutes," Piper rocked Faith's car seat. "I wouldn't trade my husband for the world," she turned to watch Elena with Grace, "but I wouldn't have minded that supernatural hearing when my kids were this small. Maybe I could have kept Melinda from waking Chris and Wyatt."

"Maybe," Elena laughed with her. She turned her head sharply when she heard footsteps approaching from the left of the crypt at a fast pace. Her severe frown eased when she saw who it was.

"Elena?" Matt's eyes darted from her to Piper. "I thought you moved to New Orleans." He wiped some sweat from his brow when he came to a stop by the bench. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Piper," Elena introduced him. "Piper this is my friend Matt. We went to high school together."

"We were high school sweethearts," Matt chuckled. He nodded to the carrier and the bundle in her arms. "Are these the babies?" Matt knelt down when she nodded. "Can I?"

Elena nodded again and reached over to lift the blanket back. "This is Faith," she smiled when Faith opened her mouth and yawned; she stretched her arms and rolled her head away from the light. "And this is Grace," Elena nodded to her arms where a soft suckling could be heard.

"She's beautiful, 'Lena," Matt smiled. "She looks so normal."

"Expecting fangs?" Elena smirked.

Matt's eyes darted to Piper.

"She knows," Elena assured him, "Piper and her sisters are helping me with a little problem."

"We should be heading back to New Orleans any time now," Piper grinned. She continued to rock Faith back and forth.

"Yeah," Matt nodded slowly. "I was kind of expecting fangs."

Elena snickered. "They've got them," she lifted the blanket to peek at Grace, "believe me."

"I'll take your word for it," Matt stood back up. "You're leaving soon huh?" He waited for Elena to nod.

"You can't stay and chat, can you?"

"No," Matt shook his head, "I'm due at work soon."

"Well it was nice seeing you," Elena carefully stood up and wrapped him in a one armed hug.

* * *

"Damn it," Kol threw a candle at the wall; it snapped into three pieces on impact.

"No luck?" Klaus eyed the mess of wax.

"I had her," Kol shouted and threw another candle, "I had a glimpse of her and then she was gone." His head jerked around when a cell phone chimed in Stefan's pocket. "Really?"

"Ease up, Kol," Rebekah caught the tumbler he threw at her. "Not everybody in the world is aware of our family drama." She flashed over and pushed him against the wall. "What did you see? You said you caught a glimpse of her."

Kol took a deep breath and closed his eyes to summon the image back. "Trees, a path and tombstones… old ones."

"A cemetery?" Rebekah stepped back. "What were they doing in a cemetery?"

"21st century travel is easier than 10th."

It was almost amusing how quickly the heads snapped around. One minute they were all watching Kol with baited breath the next ten sets of eyes were locked on the space in front of the fire.

Elijah was the first to move. In a second he was his arms closed around Elena's back. Moisture clung to his cheek, but he wasn't sure whether the tears were his or hers.

Kol wasn't far behind his brother. He might have moved at the same pace if he had not had to maneuver around his sister. He lifted Lexa off her feet and felt something bump against his leg. He lowered her to the ground and looked down to see the car seat.

"Elskling," he watched her put the carrier on a coffee table, "have I been in a constant state of panic for months?"

"Don't be silly," Lexa swiped away a few tears and pushed the blanket aside to reveal a baby in a green onesie.

"Elena couldn't hold both while we orbed in," Phoebe took in the scene. "Nice to see you again, Kol."

"Likewise," Kol nodded to the witch, "I think…"

"Where have you two been?" Mikael watched Elena lift a baby girl in a purple onesie and place her in his son's arms.

"San Francisco," Lexa unhooked Faith from the seat, "Mystic Falls, a Viking village in the tenth century… did I leave anything out?"

"No," Elena blinked back a few tears and held out her arms for Faith.

"How long do we have to wait for Dahlia to show up again?" Lexa held tight to Kol's hand. "I want to get this over with."

"Get what over with?" Freya climbed to her feet and approached Lexa. "Dahlia still thinks you're dead; your best chance is to run."

"I did run," Lexa's eyes hardened, "I ran from you. Finn fell unconscious and I took full advantage of the situation."

"You're welcome."

"Bonnie?" Elena looked around Elijah. She would have gone to her friend but she knew Elijah would not be letting go of her waist anytime soon. The only reason he had released her at all was so she could hand him Grace. "You did that? How did you do that?"

Lexa's eyes widened when Bonnie and Finn quickly explained the situation. They had barely finished when the door crashed open.

"You're probably going to want this," Phoebe pressed the hilt of a thin dagger into Elena's hand a second before the crash.

"Well this is a surprise," Dahlia's face broke out in a broad grin when she stepped down into the library. "I was expecting Freya and an unborn child." She turned to Bonnie who was now being shielded by Finn. "You are quite talented my dear. I never would have believed you were connected to him. You hid it quite well."

Dahlia turned her attention to Freya. "I assume you were responsible for the death vision she received. That won't do you any good," a loud snap echoed in the room.

Lexa jumped back when Kol fell. Turning her head she saw that the only vampires left standing were Caroline and Elijah. She turned to Piper when Dahlia didn't move again and she realized that Kol's body had not actually hit the ground.

"I thought your power didn't work on witches," her breath came out in pants as she hurried over to Elena who was trying to soothe Faith.

Freya and Bonnie took in the scene. A piece of wood hung suspended in the air between Kol's body and Dahlia's face; it was in the process of burning and they knew it would turn to ashes before it reached her. The three women who had arrived with Elena and Lexa were pulling potion vials from a leather bag while Grace waved her hands in Elijah's arms.

"Is he okay?" Elena ran her hand over Elijah's cheek. His face was frozen in a mixture of surprise and determination.

"He'll be fine," Piper located a glass on a table. She dumped out the liquid and set it on the table. "He's just temporarily frozen." She looked over her shoulder to Lexa who was carefully lifting Grace from Elijah's arms. "To answer your question good witches don't freeze."

"Nice to know Freya's good," Lexa glared at the blond.

"Was there ever any doubt about that?" Freya knelt by the table. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the combination of ingredients.

"You did kidnap us," Elena bounced on the balls of her feet.

"I was trying to help you," Freya lifted the vial of blood. "Fat lot of good it did."

"We're stubborn," Elena glared. She held up the thin dagger when Phoebe reached for it again. "We weren't about to spend an indefinite amount of time away from them."

"As much as I enjoy a good sisterly fight," Piper looked between the four woman, "perhaps it could wait until your family problems have been sorted out."

Lexa and Elena nodded. Bonnie dropped to kneel beside the other witches surrounding the table. She watched as the sisters emptied the contents of the vials into the glass and chanted.

Phoebe dipped the dagger into the bubbling concoction before laying it on the table. "Obviously this is not a good witch," she nodded to the frozen Dahlia, "but are you sure you want to do this?"

Lexa passed Grace to Phoebe and picked up the dagger. "She wants to steal our children."

Elena passed Faith to Piper and moved with Lexa around the couch. They stepped around the flaming piece of wood and paused in front of Dahlia.

"It's time to find out what a mother is willing to do," Lexa whispered.

"Never thought it would be this," Elena murmured. She turned around when Bonnie's hand covered theirs on the hilt of the dagger. The combination of all three of their hands managed to steady the blade.

"She wants mine too right?" Bonnie attempted a smile that came off as a grimace.

They looked at each other for a beat before pressing the tip of the blade over Dahlia's heart. With a soft grunt they pushed until only the handle protruded.

"Nothing happened," Bonnie crossed her arms and shivered.

Elena shivered and held her breath. Her eyes darted around the room as if expecting someone to start moving again. "Did we not kill her?"

"We did," Lexa's breath was shaky. "Didn't we?" She felt bile rise in her throat.

"You did," Piper waved her free hand in Dahlia's direction.

They stepped back as Dahlia took a lurching step forward. Her eyes widened in surprise before falling to her chest. A gurgling sound bubbled up in her throat before she stumbled to the ground and turned to ash.

"Yup," a hysterical laugh rose in Lexa's throat, "we killed her."

She wrapped her arms around Elena and Bonnie as they slid to the floor.

Elena ran her hands through her hair and leaned against Bonnie. Lexa stared off into space. Bonnie gripped her knees until her knuckles turned white.

"Piper," Phoebe leaned over towards her sister, "I think it's time you unfreeze the rest."

Caroline and Elijah looked around anxiously as they returned to consciousness. Caroline fell to her knees beside Klaus.

Elijah felt panic rise in his chest when he found his arms empty. His head snapped up when a small hand touched his shoulder.

"Relax," Phoebe breathed, "Piper and I have the girls. Elena is right there on the other side of the couch…"

"In the middle of a nervous breakdown," Paige glanced up from where she was knelt over Kol.

"Can you even heal him?" Piper watched her baby sister's hands glow.

"I'm going to try."

Elena felt her body melt when a strong pair of arms wrapped around her torso. She turned her head into his chest and shook.

"What happened?" Elijah murmured against her hair.

"We killed her," Bonnie whispered. Her hand trembled slightly as she motioned to the pile of ashes on the antique carpet.

"331 years," Lexa muttered.

"What?" Phoebe came around the couch. She passed the screaming baby to Elena when she turned and held out her arms.

"She went 331 years," Kol sat up and rubbed the back of his neck, "without taking a life." He came around and wrapped his arms around his wife.

Lexa swiped away her tears and leaned into his chest.

"Damn girl," Phoebe rocked back on her heels and whistled, "you're looking good for 331."

Lexa blinked slowly as the words registered. She felt Kol's laughter rumble through his chest. "Is now really the time for jokes?" She sniffled.

"Probably not," Phoebe shrugged and watched Piper pass Faith to Elijah, "but laughter is the best medicine right?"

"I just killed someone," Lexa cried.

"We did," Elena corrected her, "to protect our children." She glanced over her shoulder to see Finn placing his hand on Bonnie's shoulder.

"I can't think of a better reason," Elijah wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple. "Are you alright?"

Elena pressed her lips into a line and met his eyes before her gaze dropped to their daughters snuggled firmly in their arms. "No," she answered honestly, "but I will be."

"Eventually," Bonnie leaned back against Finn.

"Eventually," Lexa agreed. She laid her hand over her stomach when the baby kicked.

"So," Elijah met Elena's watery eyes, "am I going to be officially introduced to my children? Or do I have to guess their names?"

Elena's lips quirked up in a soft smile. Her eyes dropped to the bundle in her arms. "This is Grace Miranda," she kissed the little girl's head, "and this," her thumb traced her other daughter's brow, "is Faith Jenna." She waited to see how he would react to the names.

Elijah looked down into Faith's face. Her eyes had popped open to stare at him. "Perfect," he kissed the baby who made a soft sound in response. He blinked in surprise when he pulled back and saw the tiny veins under her eyes. "Elena?"

"She's hungry," Elena sighed. She shifted the children around so she was holding Faith and took the receiving blanket from Piper.

"Elena, elskede," Elijah's eyes widened when she lifted the blanket to make sure Faith had latched on.

"Don't bother," Lexa giggled, "she passed the point of modesty a while ago."

"I'm covered," Elena shrugged.

"True," Lexa nodded and wiped away a couple of tears, "but you weren't too concerned earlier."

"I was exhausted earlier," Elena blinked. "I'm still exhausted. I just want to sleep for a week… and shower… and have a proper breakdown when the twins are asleep again."

"I think I'll join you in that week long nap," Lexa laid her head on Kol's chest. "Traveling to the tenth century and back took a lot out of me."

"What?" Kol tilted her head back to meet her eyes.

Lexa blinked tiredly before smiling. "Right," she said, "Dahlia showed up before we could explain."

"You went to the tenth century?" Caroline offered Klaus a hand when he blinked and sat up.

"Yeah," Lexa nodded. Her eyes drifted shut before she could tell them how they'd done it.

"The sisters had a spell," Elena supplied as she was burping Faith, "that could send someone back and forth through time. We went to Mystic Falls so Lexa could go back and get your mother's blood."


	52. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.  
> As promised here is the epilogue. There is some smut in this chapter that take place when Elena finds Elijah reading. If you don't like you can skip down to the next line break.

Elena wrapped her fingers around the steaming mug and inhaled the rich scent of cocoa. She stood by the large picture window and scrutinized the lawn: dark green in the moonlight.

The hot chocolate burned her tongue. "I thought the whole point of Norway was so the kids could have a white Christmas," she ran her tongue through her teeth as it healed and fingered the necklace.

"It's not Christmas yet," Elijah chuckled. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He kissed her neck and nipped her ear.

"Christmas eve is pretty close," Elena tilted her head to give him better access to her throat. She sighed as his lips lazily trailed up and down her neck.

"What have we told you two about communal spaces?" Kol shifted Giulia when she pitched forward in an attempt to reach her mother.

"You might try following your own advice, mi amor," Lexa snickered and lifted her four month old daughter into her arms.

"Now, now Elskling," Kol smirked, "if I had done that we'd only have one child right now."

"Do I want to know where my niece was conceived?" Elijah rolled his eyes.

"Relax, 'Lijah," Kol chuckled, "it wasn't at your house."

"Kol," Lexa warned.

"Sorry, Lexa," he bent and kissed her cheek, "I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Good choice," she rubbed Giulia's back, "or you might have spent the next week in a guest room." She didn't need people knowing what they had gotten up to after Nik and Caroline's Thanksgiving dinner the previous year. She still blushed when she looked too long at the fountain. "I'm going to try putting her down."

"Speaking of children," Elena stepped out of his arms, "I'm going to peek in on them."

"I'm sure they're all sound asleep," Kol called after her.

"I'm still going to check," Elena grinned over her shoulder. "It is Christmas eve."

Elena steps echoed in the wide halls. She slowed down when she approached the nursery and could hear the soft breathing of five children. She came to a stop beside Finn who had opened the door enough to peer inside.

"They're sleeping," he tilted his head to meet her dark eyes.

"That is surprising," Elena smirked. She braced one hand on the door and examined the child sized beds.

Grace had climbed out of her own bed; the four year old had carried her teddy bear over and climbed into bed with her sister.

Lexa and Kol's son, Gabe, was sprawled spread eagle on top of the blankets with his mouth open.

Hope had curled her fingers into the soft fur of the stuffed wolf Kol had given her at Caroline's baby shower. Nik had been less than amused, but Caroline had erupted in peals of laughter.

Sheila had spun around completely so her feet were on her pillow.

"Bonnie used to do that," Elena nodded to Finn's daughter. "When we were kids she'd toss and turn during sleepovers. Caroline woke up with one of Bonnie's feet in her face once."

"One time," Bonnie snickered. "That happened once." She smiled fondly at her daughter and pulled the door shut.

"It happened once," Elena snickered, "before we started making you sleep alone."

"Luckily she seems to have grown out of it," Finn lifted Bonnie's hand to his lips. He turned to Elena when he caught the smell rising from her mug. "I thought Caroline poured bourbon in all of the hot chocolate."

"She did," Elena sipped her cocoa, "but I happen to think it ruins the taste."

"Sure," Bonnie nodded with a knowing smile. She watched Elena's fingers toy with the chain around her neck. "If there is one thing you don't mess with that's chocolate."

"Precisely," Elena nodded. She untangled her fingers from the chain when she caught Bonnie staring.

* * *

Elena glanced up from where she was rinsing her mug. Headlights flashed in the front yard. She made it to the entrance hall just in time to see the front door open to admit Rebekah and Stefan. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she saw the mountain of brightly coloured presents they were carrying.

"Bekah," Bonnie sighed from the stairs, "you didn't have to go so overboard with the gifts."

Rebekah sped into the large sitting room and arranged the boxes under the massive tree before flashing back into the entry.

"I can't have kids of my own," she tugged the hat from her head, "so I am contenting myself with spoiling yours. Anyone want to contest my right to do that?"

"No one is going to argue with you, Bekah," Stefan deposited his own pile of gifts beneath the tree and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"No arguments here," Lexa clipped a video monitor to her hip and descended the stairs, "so long as you can't have your own, you're welcome to spoil mine." She cast her sparkling eyes to Elena who quickly agreed.

"Good," Rebekah immediately started bouncing on the balls of her feet, "now where are my niece's and nephew?"

"Upstairs asleep," Elena watched her flash off in the direction of the children, "just don't wake them up." She called up the stairs.

"You know," Stefan watched her go, "I think Rebekah might be more excited than the kids."

"There is no doubt in my mind," Klaus came around the corner.

"Were you taking a nap?" Elena snickered when she saw his hair.

"Did you fall in some paint?" Lexa giggled at the pink stain on his neck. "Or did it just splatter?"

"He is a very passionate painter," Caroline straightened her ponytail.

"Do you remember when you were all afraid to talk to me like this?" Klaus sighed. He made an attempt to smooth down his messy curls. "I do. I find I miss the silence sometimes."

"Niklaus," Elijah appeared with a few Christmas boxes, "that lipstick is really not your colour." He snickered when his brother glared at him.

"He's right, Nik," Stefan pulled off his gloves, "you're more of a winter."

"I'd recommend a plum," Bonnie giggled.

"To dark," Elena shook her head, "I'm thinking of a wine."

"I could see that," Caroline reached up and fixed the back of his hair.

"I hate you all," Klaus grumbled. He took a few boxes from Elijah and carried them into the sitting room to the laughter of his family.

Lexa took a deep breath and got her laughter under control before addressing Bonnie and Elena. "I don't know about you two, but I didn't travel halfway around the world for my kids to have a green Christmas. They could have had that at home."

"What did you have in mind?" Elena leaned back against the railing.

"Do you remember Caroline's first date?" Lexa arched an eyebrow. "You wanted to stop the rain."

"How could I forget?" Elena snickered. "New Orleans was buried under eight inches of snow…. Oh…"

* * *

"How did it go?" Elijah asked.

"If you weren't so into that book you'd be able to see for yourself," Elena teased. She climbed onto the bed to straddle his thighs and ran her fingers down his bare stomach.

"I do enjoy the best sellers," he smirked.

"You've already read it," Elena pulled the novel from his hands and put it on the night stand.

"It's an entirely different experience when it's bound," Elijah pretended to reach for the book. He heaved an exaggerated sigh when she caught his hand and placed it on her hip. "Well now I'm torn," his fingers dipped under her t-shirt, "my attention is divided."

"Well," Elena's eyes sparkled, "I would highly suggest you focus."

"And why is that?" He tilted his head and smirked.

"Because your wife would like your undivided attention," Elena licked the shell of his ear. "Do you think that's something you can manage, or would you rather return to your book?"

"It was a very good book, but I think I can manage that," he carded his fingers through her hair and pulled her hips down to grind over him.

"Play your cards right and I might give you a sneak peek at the sequel," Elena bit her lip. He pulled her shirt off and rolled her over.

"How could I possibly refuse such an offer?" He groaned and tweaked her nipple when she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer.

"You couldn't," she moaned. Her fingers threaded through his hair and pushed his head lower.

"You're a demanding woman," he dipped his tongue into her naval and hooked his thumbs into her pajama bottoms. His hands slid the pants down her legs. "Did you forget something elskede?"

Elena lifted her head to see him grinning between her legs. His warm breath fanned over her pussy and brought a flood of moisture to her lips. "I'm a woman who knows what she wants," her toes ran down his back, "and I'm prepared to get it."

"That you are," he chuckled. He pressed a kiss to the top of her slit before running his tongue over her clit. He sucked the bundle of nerves into his mouth and flicked it with his tongue before moving lower to work his tongue in and out of her wet pussy.

Elena's head fell back against the pillow as he set to work. She draped her arm over her mouth to stifle the moans he was drawing from her. The last thing she wanted was to be teased by the entire family in the morning. Unfortunately she couldn't stifle herself when he added his fingers.

Elijah used one arm to steady her hips when she bucked them off the bed. His pressed his into her pussy and pumped. Once he'd gathered enough moisture he pulled out.

The fire that had been steadily growing in her belly blazed when his finger circled her ass in time with his tongue on her clit.

"Elijah," she moaned and tried to shimmy lower against his hand.

"What do you want Elena?" He lifted his chin and smirked when she moaned. "You said you knew what you wanted, so tell me." His finger continued to tease her back entrance.

"You know," she choked out. A flush had risen on her chest; she could feel the pendent of her necklace in the hollow of her throat.

"That I do," he chuckled, "but I want to hear you say it."

"Elijah, please," she hooked her leg over his shoulder and tried to pull him closer. She huffed when he neither budged nor increased the speed of his finger. "Fine," she sighed, "I want you to finger me."

"Where?" His eyes sparkled with amusement when she glared at him. He knew she was close.

"Right there," she moaned when he pressed the tip of his finger to her ass. "Finger my ass and lick my pussy."

"All you had to do was ask," Elijah grinned. His tongue returned to its earlier task as his finger eased into her behind.

Elena arched her back and moaned. His finger pushed her over the edge. Her thighs trembled as waves of fire spread from her abdomen.

* * *

Elena hooked her leg over Elijah's thigh and snaked her arm over his waist. Her hair was still damp from the shower they had shared. She fingered the chain around her neck and kissed his chest. Her eyes tracked the heavy snow flakes through the window. The sun had risen behind the clouds and bathed the room in white.

She had just enough time to adjust her camisole when the door burst open and two little girls jumped up on the bed.

"Wake up," they cried. "It's Christmas."

"I'm certain you're mistaken," Elijah pulled Faith and Grace. He held them against his chest and smirked when they giggled.

"Nu-uh," Grace poked her head up.

"It is Christmas," Faith chimed in. She wiggled and pouted when she found her father's grip to tight to escape.

"It's time to get up daddy," Grace pulled on his arm.

"Oh no," Elijah yawned, "it's time to sleep."

"No," Faith shook her head. Her messy curls hit Elena's nose. "Mommy," she turned around, "tell daddy it's time to get up."

"Elijah," Elena propped her head on her hand and smiled.

"There has been a terrible mistake," he smirked over the girls heads. "Christmas is tomorrow."

"It is tomorrow daddy," Grace twisted when he tickled her side.

"I'll tell you what girls," Elena grinned when both children turned to watch her expectantly. "I'll hold him down and you tickle."

"Don't you dare," Elijah laughed when Elena grabbed his arms and the girls started tickling his ribs. "You will pay for this later elskede."

"I've no doubt," Elena snickered and released his hands. She grinned when he caught the back of her head and drew her down into a kiss.

"Eww," the twins hopped off the bed and wrinkled their noses.

Elena laughed and climbed out of the bed. She took Faith's hand while Elijah took Grace.

"Do you know what you want for Christmas girls?" Elena asked while they were walking down the stairs.

"We want a baby sister," Faith grinned.

"Or a brother," Grace chimed in.

She saw Elijah's eyes widen comically at the response. "Where did you come up with that?"

"Gabe's got a little sister," Faith skipped through the entry.

"We want one two," Grace followed into the kitchen. "Are we going to get one?"

"It definitely won't be for Christmas," Elena's hand covered her throat.

"Why not?" Faith pouted.

"It takes time," Elijah started flipped on the stove and started on the pancakes while Elena scrambled eggs. As usual the twins were the first one's up on Christmas morning.

"And you've only now told us," Elena reached into the fridge for the bacon.

* * *

Elena surveyed the mess of wrapping paper in the sitting room. Lexa stood beside her and bounced Giulia.

"Remind me again why we all spend Christmas together?" She took a seat on the leather sofa and lifted her shirt over Giulia's head when her eyes darkened.

"Because Christmas is a time you spend with your family," Jeremy picked up some of the paper and threw it in a garbage bag. "I'm not sure at what point mine expanded to include the oldest vampires in history."

"That would be five years ago," Elena laughed. She took a seat beside Lexa and watched her brother clean.

"Are you going to help?" Jeremy tilted his head and smirked.

"Sure," Elena grinned. She waved her hand with Lexa and the wrapping paper flew into the bag.

"Show offs," Jeremy rolled his eyes and tied off the garbage bag.

"Don't close that yet," Elena said. Her eyes darted to the door when everyone filed back in to sit around the room. "We're not quite done."

"What's left?" Elijah took a seat. He was about to pull Elena over into his lap when she stood up and approached the tree.

"Where'd we put it Lex?" Elena squeezed between the boughs near the wall.

"Towards the back," Lexa lifted her collar to peak at the baby. "It should be behind one of the little drummer boys."

Elena quickly located the box. It fit snuggly in the palm of her hand. She passed it to Rebekah before returning to the couch. Kol had taken her place beside Lexa so she sat in Elijah's lap.

"You got me something?" Rebekah inspected the small box. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"That's actually from all three of us," Elena nodded to Kol and Lexa.

"What could you three have possibly gotten me?" Rebekah tested the weight in her hands. It was light. Her first thought would have been jewelry, but that was a strange gift to receive from three people.

"You'll have to open it and find out," Kol smirked. He laid Giulia over his shoulder so Lexa could adjust her top.

Rebekah eyed their smiles warily. A millennium with Kol had taught her not to trust anything he offered. She highly doubted Lexa and Elena would prank her though. The only way to find out was to open the box.

She tore off the wrapping paper and lifted the lid. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the contents. A slim vial rested on the blue velvet; it was filled with a red liquid.

"What is this?" She lifted the vial and saw a jade ring underneath it.

"That, dear sister, is the counter to a curse cast over a thousand years ago," Kol grinned.

"It took about four years to work out," Lexa squeezed Kol's hand and kissed Giulia's blond curls.

"And a little bit of blood," Elena's eyes sparkled.

Rebekah's gaze flickered from one face to the other. "Are you serious?" Hope swelled in her chest. Her fingers tightened around the vial protectively. She flashed across the room and wrapped her arms around all three of them.

Elena nearly fell from Elijah's lap as she was tugged closer to Kol.

Rebekah didn't release them until Giulia let up a piercing cry; she didn't like being closed in.

"Thank you." Tears welled in Rebekah's eyes as she leaned back into Stefan's arms.

* * *

"How did you do it?" Elijah wrapped an arm around Elena's waist.

"I assume we're talking about Rebekah," Elena laid her head on his shoulder. "I wasn't involved at all until a few months ago. Evidently Kol and Lexa had been working on it for years."

"They couldn't crack it alone?"

Elena tilted her head back to meet his eyes. "No," she shook her head. "Turns out they were missing one key ingredient."

"Doppelganger blood," Elijah kissed her forehead.

"You're not upset I didn't tell you?" Elena blinked.

"It was a surprise for Rebekah," Elijah shrugged. "I'd be more upset if it meant I would have to watch her grow old and die, but she'll still be immortal."

"Just like Bonnie, Lexa, and I."

"Exactly," Elijah nodded. "This is the one thing she's wanted for centuries."

"And it came just in time," Elena grinned. "I don't think I could take another Christmas with her spoiling the kids."

"Do you think the girls were serious about wanting a younger sibling?" He ran his hand up her back to tangle in her hair.

"I certainly hope so," Elena unhooked the necklace. "I'd hate for them to be disappointed."

Elijah's eyes widened when she dropped the necklace on the dresser and a soft heartbeat reached his ears. "Elena?" They had been trying again for nearly six months with no luck.

"I found out a last week," she settled his hand over her stomach, "and thought I'd surprise you." She placed her hands on his shoulders and chewed her lip. "Do you like your Christmas present?"

Elijah stroked her flat stomach and captured her lips in an impulsive kiss. "I love it."

Elena laughed when he wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around in a circle. "We're having another baby."

"We're having another baby," Elena nodded with tears in her eyes. "I love you Elijah Mikaelson."

"I love you, Elena Mikaelson," he kissed her again and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is. The Epilogue is complete. Now it's time for me to get back to work on Strong, Ageless, Fearless.

**Author's Note:**

> AN: I always appreciate reviews. They keep me writing.


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